Data Focus: Conference committees are essential to resolving differences between legislation passed by the two chambers. Important legislation should have the benefit of a conference committee to ensure greater member participation in the policy process.

Data Findings: So far, one conference report has been approved by both chambers in the 116th Congress. Comparatively, the 110th, 112th, 113th, and 114th Congresses had not relied on conference committees to resolve differences on any bills by this point. The 111th enacted one bill through a conference committee and the 104th did so for two.

* Transition Year Where the Outgoing President Had Not Submitted a Budget Resolution for the Upcoming Fiscal Year.
** Of the following year.
*** Funding expired at midnight on February 8th, 2018 but resumed later in the morning of February 9th

Data Focus: Congress and the president must take actions before certain deadlines to ensure the government is funded before the start of the next fiscal year on October 1. When these deadlines are not met, Congress often takes stopgap measures outside of the regular process.

Data Findings: The 116th Congress began during a partial government shutdown that was initiated during the prior congress, and, as a result, inherited responsibility for funding the government for fiscal year 2019. After 22 additional days of the shutdown in 2019 and reliance on one continuing resolution, the government was fully funded by a consolidated appropriations bill.

Initial steps for funding the government for FY 2020 have not been successful. The Trump administration’s budget proposal was sent to Congress 35 days past the statutory deadline and Congress had not adopted a budget resolution by the end of the first quarter.

Data Focus: Authorizing committees in Congress should routinely review government programs and renew, adjust, or eliminate their authorizations for funding. To measure how diligently committees are conducting this oversight, the index identifies programs receiving appropriations for which the underlying authorization has expired. This measure is likely only to be updated on an annual basis.

Data Findings: Congress has been neglecting its duty to review existing federal programs and, when necessary, make adjustments. The number of federal programs that have not been reviewed and reauthorized by congressional committees has grown since fiscal year 1995. At that time, these programs made up about 17 percent of spending. From FY 2014 through FY 2019, funding for programs with expired authorizations made up about one-quarter or more of all discretionary spending.