{
  "id": "R45789",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "R45789",
  "active": true,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 601379,
      "date": "2019-06-28",
      "retrieved": "2019-07-02T22:03:08.124452",
      "title": "Long-Term Budgeting within the Congressional Budget Process: In Brief",
      "summary": "Members of Congress, the Administration, and outside groups have expressed concern over long-term projections of deficits and debt levels. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has stated that federal deficits and debt held by the public, which are higher than average, are projected to increase sharply over the next 30 years.\nSome have argued that the current congressional budget process has created, or at least exacerbated, the projected long-term deficit and debt challenges. It has been said that the current process does not encourage or require the consideration of long-term budgetary outcomes. Some argue that the lack of a formal requirement for Congress to consider long-term budget outcomes discourages long-term planning and encourages policy outcomes that are desirable in the short term at the expense of the long-term budget situation. It has therefore been suggested that Congress adopt a long-term budget focus. \nIn considering budget or budget process reform, it may be useful to review current congressional tools that may be used for long-term budgeting. For example, information and data are publicly available that project spending, revenue, deficit, and debt levels in the long term, and in some instances, data evaluating the long-term outlook of specific programs are available. Congressional committees are useful resources for long-term budgeting as they gather information and make policy recommendations on individual programs, as well as the budget as a whole. In addition, Congress is able to develop and consider a multiyear budget plan in the form of a budget resolution. The budget resolution may also trigger the budget reconciliation process, which has been used to make legislative changes addressing long-term budgetary levels. Also, the House and Senate have internal rules that restrict or prohibit consideration of legislation that would have certain long-term budgetary effects (e.g., the PAYGO rule and the long-term deficit rule). And lastly, there are laws that restrict or prohibit the enactment of budgetary legislation that would have certain long-term budgetary effects (such as 10-year discretionary spending limits and statutory PAYGO).",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": true,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "encoding": "utf-8",
          "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R45789",
          "sha1": "e864ca4cd1eab7b4beac91a3b40a6b8046d5d5af",
          "filename": "files/20190628_R45789_e864ca4cd1eab7b4beac91a3b40a6b8046d5d5af.html",
          "images": {}
        },
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "encoding": null,
          "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R45789",
          "sha1": "ec53e81d3986cc7573237580397274c7758f877a",
          "filename": "files/20190628_R45789_ec53e81d3986cc7573237580397274c7758f877a.pdf",
          "images": {}
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "IBCList",
          "id": 4900,
          "name": "Budget & Appropriations Procedure"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Legislative Process"
  ]
}