What are the typical features of the federal budgetary process in practice (President's submission, Congress actions, CRs)?

What are the typical features of the federal budgetary process in practice (President's submission, Congress actions, CRs)?

• A. The President submits a budget; Congress marks up and passes appropriations; when there is delay, continuing resolutions fund at current levels.
• B. The President submits a budget; Congress passes appropriations immediately.
• C. The President submits a budget; Congress often delays action and uses temporary CRs.
• D. The President submits a budget; Congress marks up and passes appropriations; when there is delay, continuing resolutions fund at current levels.

Answer: (D)

The key idea here is that the federal budget process unfolds as a proposal, followed by congressional action, and then a fallback mechanism when work runs late. The President submits a budget proposal to set spending priorities and guide debate. Congress then takes up that proposal, with committees shaping and voting on appropriations to fund government programs. If Congress runs into delays and cannot finalize appropriations on time, continuing resolutions are used as temporary funding measures that keep agencies operating at current (or otherwise specified) levels while negotiations continue. This combination—the President’s budget request, Congress’s markup and passage of appropriations, and the use of continuing resolutions during delays—best reflects how the process actually works in practice.

The key idea here is that the federal budget process unfolds as a proposal, followed by congressional action, and then a fallback mechanism when work runs late. The President submits a budget proposal to set spending priorities and guide debate. Congress then takes up that proposal, with committees shaping and voting on appropriations to fund government programs. If Congress runs into delays and cannot finalize appropriations on time, continuing resolutions are used as temporary funding measures that keep agencies operating at current (or otherwise specified) levels while negotiations continue. This combination—the President’s budget request, Congress’s markup and passage of appropriations, and the use of continuing resolutions during delays—best reflects how the process actually works in practice.