July 21, 1976
Page 23033
NEW SERIES OF SENATE BUDGET SCOREKEEPING REPORTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1977
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, each Senator has on his desk the first of a new series of Senate budget scorekeeping reports for fiscal year 1977 that has just been issued. I would like to take a moment to describe the new report since it represents a significant departure from the reports issued for fiscal year 1976.
The major new innovation contained in this report is a table for each Senate committee — and also a table for each subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee — showing the relationship of each committee's budget actions to the first concurrent resolution on the budget, Senate Concurrent Resolution 109. A breakdown by committee is possible for the first time this year due to the implementation of section 302 of the Congressional Budget Act — the so-called crosswalk provision — under which the statement of managers accompanying the conference report on the budget resolution allocates the budget spending totals among Senate committees, which the committees themselves then subdivide among subcommittees or programs. The implementation of section 302 of the Budget Act permits the scorekeeping system to keep track of budgetary actions in a manner consistent with the way the Senate does its work.
This report also continues the practice begun last year of including information relating to possible future congressional budgetary actions for fiscal year 1977. Though such information is tentative, its inclusion, along with information on actions completed or underway, enhances the value of the report in presenting a full budgetary picture.
Each committee or subcommittee table in the report has the same basic format. The table begins with the first budget resolution allocation made to the committee. Action to date is then reported, and the difference between the allocation and action to date shows us the current status of the committee's actions relative to the first budget resolution. Possible later requirements are then listed, and when these are added to action to date, the committee's potential status in relation to the first budget resolution is calculated.
All of the committee tables present information on direct spending jurisdiction, that is, the portion of the budget over which a particular committee has direct control in the sense that legislation under its purview, when enacted, directly provides budget authority which forms part of the budget totals. All standing committees of the Senate with the exception of the Budget Committee have some direct spending jurisdiction, although the bulk falls to two Committees — Appropriations and Finance.
In addition, the tables for the authorizing committees present information on entitlement programs subject to appropriations action that fall within the authorizing committee's area of responsibility. The dollar amounts for these programs fall within the direct spending jurisdiction of the Appropriations Committee, but since any action by the authorizing committee on such entitlements essentially locks in the appropriations process, these amounts were crosswalked to both the appropriations and the authorizing committees in the first budget resolution. This information is also necessary for determining whether referrals of entitlement bills to the Appropriations Committee are necessary under section 401(b) of the Congressional Budget Act.
In addition to the committee and subcommittee spending tables, the report includes a series of summary tables showing the status of the budget as a whole, both in terms of revenues and spending. A summary table is also included showing budgetary status by function. Finally there is a table summarizing the individual committee tables.
The report also contains a section comparing congressional action on appropriation bills to the President's budget request which should be of particular interest to the Appropriations Committee.
Finally, there is a section containing summary budget status information on the transition quarter between fiscal years 1976 and 1977.
Mr. President, I believe this new report, which will be issued weekly between now and the end of the congressional session, should assist each Senator in understanding the relationship of individual budgetary actions to the first budget resolution targets. By focusing on committee splits, the new report should be easier to understand than the reports issued last year. The staff of the Budget Committee will be happy to assist anyone who has questions regarding the report.
Needless to say, we would be happy to receive suggestions for further improvement in the report. Our aim is to make the report as useful as possible for each Senator.