Senate Majority Leader John Tune, Rs.D. , Center, R-Wyo. , Sen. John Barrasso, Sen. Shelly Moore Capitol of RW.Va., will be accompanied by Sen. John Barrasso, and to the right, speaks with reporters following the weekly Republican policy luncheon at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on February 19, 2025 (DC)

WASHINGTON – US Senate Republicans will spend the next few weeks defending the party’s “big beautiful bill” against democratic criticism and trying to pass the final version that will win 51 votes.

Settlement is the name of a process in which a large bill is being considered, so many rules are in the Senate, including that all proposals in the bill address federal revenue, expenditure, or debt restrictions. And languages ​​that deal with the first two are also kicked to the curb, considered “merely contingent.”

As the bill is not subject to legislative filibusters, settlement is also advantageous for the powerful party, in this case Republicans. This means that GOP is just a simple majority for passing.

As I look and read about Senate actions in the coming weeks, I will give you answers to five questions about the settlement as well as other ways Congress can set budgets and allocate taxpayer money.

Q: Like the President’s budget request, where does the settlement fit into everything else happening, including budget resolutions approved earlier this year, budget bills and rescues?

A: Yeah, they really don’t make this easy.

The President’s Budget Request is a proposal that serves as a starting point for lawmakers’ work in many ways, including the annual spending bill. There’s nothing President’s budget request It will be authentic unless Congress takes action.

meeting’ Budget resolution It’s separate from that request. This is a blueprint for the tax and expenditures that lawmakers are supposed to use to plan the country’s future for the next decade.

It’s not a bill and it can’t become a law, but when it comes to the House and Senate Adopt budget resolution using settlement instructions Unlock the process currently used by Republicans and hand over a “big beautiful bill” settlement.

settlement invoice Move the council It’s similar to how a regular bill becomes a law. But in the Senate, parties that used this process must defend their work to Congress. Congress ensures that the law is in fact compliant with the Bird Rules, the law.

Another process is dozens Annual budget bill,That one How Congress funds with the power of the wallet The departments, agencies, programs that most people imagine when thinking about the federal government.

These bills account for about a third of federal spending. The other two thirds come from essential programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security that lawmakers have designed to run outside the annual spending process.

Although Congress is supposed to approve the expenditure bill by the start of the fiscal year on October 1, lawmakers rarely complete work before the deadline and will typically need to use the StopGap spending bill to give them more time to negotiate government funding bills throughout the year.

This is why government closures could still be shut down later this year, despite Congress already adopting budget resolutions and likely passing budget adjustment packages in the coming months.

Yet another process related to government spending is Rescue requestTrump Send to Capitol Hill Early this month. He asks lawmakers to curb funding approved in previous spending bills.

Just make a request and the White House Budget Office can freeze funds for 45 days while the House and Senate discuss the proposal. Since approval of the Senate rescue bill is not subject to the Chamber of Commerce’s 60-vote legislative filibuster, democratic opposition will not stop it from becoming a reality if the majority of GOP senators vote to reduce previously approved spending.

Q: What are the rules for the budget adjustment bill?

A: Again, remember that in general, this type of law requires you to address revenue, expenditure, or debt restrictions. Neither party can use the process to change policies unless it has a significant impact on federal funding.

Democrats, for example, had to remove clauses that raised the federal minimum wage from settlement bills passed during the Biden administration. The parliament ruled It was “just an accident.”

Q: Why didn’t the bill have to go through all these extra steps in the house?

A: Congress established the settlement process in the 1974 budget law and passed the first settlement bill in 1980. However, in 1985 and 1986, the Senate set up additional guardrails.

Bird Rule got its name from West Virginia Democratic Sen. Robert C. Bird. Robert C. Byrd argued that the settlement process needs to focus more on budget issues. The Byrd rules evolved slightly over the years before the law was created in 1990.

The Byrd rules require that each provision change revenue or expenditure in a way that is not considered “merely contingent.” Additionally, committees receiving settlement orders in budget resolutions can write invoices within their jurisdiction, and those committees must work within the financial goals of the settlement order.

Furthermore, the proposal cannot increase the deficit other than the 10-year budget window, and the package cannot change Social Security.

Q: What is a llama voting?

A: The Senate debate on the settlement package is very different from the House of Representatives, where GOP leaders were able to block discussions on amendments.

The Senate must win floor votes on settlement amendments, which usually leads to llama’s votes. There, lawmakers discuss dozens of amendments overnight, sometimes after sunrise.

Democrats are likely to focus their amendments on proposals for a settlement bill that at least four GOP senators do not support. This is because it is the minimum number required for Democrats to be adopted. Republicans manage the Chamber of Commerce with 53 votes and a tie-break vote from Vice President JD Vance.

While GOP senators may ask for votes for their own amendments, leaders usually try to resolve many of the final details before the bill comes to the floor to avoid potentially divisive votes.

Q: How often does Congress use this process to approve legislation?

A: Congress has approved 27 settlement bills since 1980, of which 23 have become law. Former President Bill Clinton rejected three people, while former President Barack Obama refused one. Report From the Non-Participation Congress Research Service.

Over the past decade, Congress has approved three settlement bills. Republican tax law 2017. The Democrats passed the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package in 2021. and the Democrats’ signature Climate Change, Healthcare and Tax Package known as the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.

If you’re interested in reading more about budget settlements, This is another explainer Since the beginning of this year.