Back in the Clinton days...

[alphatarget1]

Did Bill Clinton submit a federal budget for Congress to vote on? How did it work back in the day? I tried Googling it but couldn't find any good sources.

I'll explain why this question is relevant after I am enlightened by my fellow forum members...

 

[IronWing]

By law, the President is required to submit a budget request each year. The law passed in 1921 (just learned that myself, I had thought it was a more recent development, early 1970s-ish).

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/31/usc_sec_31_00001105----000-.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget_and_Accounting_Act_of_1921

 

[Craig234]

I didn't know it was a 1921 thing, but yes, the President has long submitted a budget, which is far more influential than many people understand.

It's why the president seems to dominate the budget direction far more than Congress, though they are technically the branch in charge.

We see major shifts happen when the President changes, and the Congress doesn't.

 

[Fern]

-snip-

It's why the president seems to dominate the budget direction far more than Congress, though they are technically the branch in charge.

Do not agree with the above statement.

There were huge fights between the Repub Congress and Clinton. Congress had a great deal to do with the budget.

Am predicting big fights the Obama admin and the Repub controlled Congress.

It's interesting to note that under the Obama admin a budget has never actually been passed. Now that we have a Repub controlled Congress I think we will, and I think it'll be a fight.

Fern

 

[ProfJohn]

I think the Presidents budget always serves as a base.

It is far too complicated for congress to create its own budget. So they take the one presented to them and change it as they want.

Often time the Presidents budget is considered DOA and may never even get a vote. Other times it gets a vote just so everyone can vote NO.

The first Clinton budget presented after the GOP take over was essentially ignored and they fought over spending for a year and a half before finally agree to the frame work that created our balanced budgets.

 

[Craig234]

Do not agree with the above statement.

There were huge fights between the Repub Congress and Clinton. Congress had a great deal to do with the budget.

Am predicting big fights the Obama admin and the Repub controlled Congress.

It's interesting to note that under the Obama admin a budget has never actually been passed. Now that we have a Repub controlled Congress I think we will, and I think it'll be a fight.

Fern

You don't agree because you apparently don't know the facts. You shouldn't rush to an opinion without them.

Carter had a Democratic Congress and small deficits. Reagan/Bush 41 gave us 12 years of greatly increased deficits, starting with the same Congress.

Clinton from his first year gave us deficit reduction of similar amounts each year, starting with the same Congress.

W then shot the deficit back up and ran large deficits from his first year, starting with the same Congress.

Every time, it doesn't matter than the President and Congress argue, my statement is correct that the President has a very large effect on the budget.

Look at Clinton's deficit reductions with a Democratic and Republican Congress - about the same.

 

[ProfJohn]

You don't agree because you apparently don't know the facts. You shouldn't rush to an opinion without them.

How about...

The Democrats in congress gave us huge deficits starting in 1970 all the way up until the GOP took over in 1994.

Starting that point the deficits got smaller every year until 2001 and the recession. The deficits then went up, but were on the way back down again.

Then the Democrats took over again and the deficit shot back up again!

FACTS:
Highest deficits passed by a GOP congress
3.5% in 2004
3.4% in 2003
2.5% in 2005

Highest deficits passed by a Democrat congress
10% 2009
8.9% 2010 But let's give them a pass on Obama...

Highest deficits passed by a Democrat congress with someone other than Obama in office
6% 1983 <- Reagan
5.1% 1985
5% 1986
4.7% 1992 <- Bush 41
4.2% 1976 <- Ford
3.9% 1993 <- Clinton
3,8% 2008 <- Bush 43
2.7% 1977, 78, 80 <- Carter

So in conclusion: Democrat congresses outspend GOP congresses no mater who is in the White House, with the sole exception of a few of Carter's years that were lower than Bush's two worst years.


Furthermore... in the last 40 years the deficit has exceeded 3% 17 times and only two of those were under GOP congresses.

But wait!!! There is more...

The only time in history that spending has gone down consistently was under a GOP congress.
From 1995 to 2001 spending dropped EVERY year. Seven straight years.

More!!
GOP controlled congresses have only spent more than 20% of GPD 3 times, Democrats... 23 times.

We could do this all day... in short the record of Democrats when it comes to spending and deficits SUCKS!

 

[Engineer]

The only time in history that spending has gone down consistently was under a GOP congress.
From 1995 to 2001 spending dropped EVERY year. Seven straight years.

Spending didn't drop, revenues increased built on the back of a bubble, but of course, it could never be because of "increasing revenues", it's only spending increases and decreases. But in reality, spending always increases, doesn't it PJ?

As a matter of fact, both your time periods above were built on bubbles but don't let that little fact stand in your way.

 

[HendrixFan]

The first Clinton budget presented after the GOP take over was essentially ignored and they fought over spending for a year and a half before finally agree to the frame work that created our balanced budgets.

This again?

All together, OBRA plus direct economic factors, plus even higher than expected revenues from their interaction combined to produce a $311 billion fiscal improvement. That $311 billion wiped away more than 85 percent of the deficit. No help from Newt Gingrich required.

The remaining $50 billion or so of deficit reduction came mainly from lower than anticipated health care spending, lower than anticipated debt service payments, and other technical adjustments.