legislation and the budget (9/23 INTA)

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@@ -13,3 +13,67 @@ House side of process
     - Rules Committee -- sets rules for debate on bill
     - Floor Action - scheduled by Speaker (time limit, agenda position)
         - (Germane) amendments can get added and get debated separately
+        - *After* amendments, the amended bill is voted on
+            - Amendments can remove support for the bill
+            - Simple majority to pass
+Senate side of process (often introduced concurrently, sometimes
+multiple bills on either side correspond on one issue, sometimes
+consecutive)
+    - Introduction: senate resolution number
+    - President pro temp (maybe multiple) refers to standing committees, 
+    - Committee Stage: passes through the subcommittee, full committee
+      landmines; often longer timeframes in the Senate
+    - NO Rules Committee
+    - Scheduled by "majority leader" (not president pro temp, who is the
+      most senior member of the majority party)
+        - Power to improve/worsen chance of passing
+        - Majority leader, like speaker, chooses Joint Committee members
+            - Appointment power
+    - Floor action - much less formal rule system
+        - Any (non-germane) amendments can be added
+            - Can allow some "pork barrel politics"
+        - No time limit
+            - Allows filibusters
+                - Originally 60 votes "Vote of Closure" stops
+                - Now simple majority (50) 
+                    - No sitting down, leaning on podium
+                        - But multi-person filibusters
+        - Amendment vote (incl house amendments) and vote on finalized
+          bill (needs majority)
+Conference Committee
+    - Bipartisan, bicameral Joint Committee
+    - No compromise, no law
+        - if passed identically, compromises don't need to happen
+    - Then has to be passed by house and senate
+    - Onto the president
+Presidential Action
+    - 10 business days to review legislation
+    - Sign it --> law
+    - Veto: requires written reasons
+        - 2/3 in both chambers override
+    - No action
+        - Congress in session = unsigned law
+        - Congress out of session = pocket veto (bill dies, can be
+          reintroduced)
+
+The Budget
+- In theory, begins 18 months prior to fiscal year (Oct 1-Sep 30)
+- HUGE piece of legislation, physically, importance, etc
+- Executive budget, comes out in March
+    - President saying what he wants: taxes, tax cuts, revenues, spend
+- First Budget Resolution (meant to be passed middle of May)
+    - "Congress's rebuttal"
+- Second Budget Resolution
+    - Passed by Sep 30
+    - Final copy
+    - Chosen by compromise in congress and with congress and pres.
+    - Rarely actually passed (in time?)
+- Continuing Resolutions
+    - Temporary funding for a particular time frame
+    - Originally only 30, 60 days
+    - Now months, years at a time. De facto final res.
+- Recent Budgets
+    - 09 Budget $3.1T ($3.9T actual w/ fed bailout)
+    - 10 Budget $3.72T
+    - 11 Budget $3.83T (record $1.56T deficit)
+    - 20 Budget $4.79T ($1.083T deficit estimate)