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From the Government Manual Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Page 61-64]
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Second and D Streets SW., Washington, DC 20515
Phone, 202-226-2600. Internet, http://www.cbo.gov/.
Director Dan L. Crippen
Deputy Director Barry B. Anderson
Executive Associate Director Steven M. Lieberman
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General Counsel Gail Del Balzo
Assistant Director for Administration and David M. Delquadro
Information
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis Paul N. Van de Water
Assistant Director for Macroeconomic Analysis Robert A. Dennis
Assistant Director for Tax Analysis G. Thomas Woodward
Assistant Director for Natural Resources and Jan Paul Acton
Commerce
Assistant Director for Health and Human Joseph R. Antos
Resources
Assistant Director for National Security Christopher Jehn
Assistant Director for Special Studies Arlene Holen
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The Congressional Budget Office provides the Congress with assessments
of the economic impact of the Federal budget.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) was established by the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 601), which also created a
procedure by which the United States Congress considers and acts upon
the annual Federal budget. This process enables the Congress to have an
overview of the Federal budget and to make overall decisions regarding
spending and taxing levels and the deficit or surplus these levels
incur.
The Office provides Congress with basic budget data and with
analyses of alternative fiscal, budgetary, and programmatic policy
issues.
Activities
Economic Forecasting and Fiscal Policy Analysis The Federal budget
affects and is affected by the national economy. The Congressional
Budget Office provides Congress with biannual forecasts of the economy
and analyses of economic trends and alternative fiscal policies.
Scorekeeping Under the budget process the Congress establishes, by
concurrent resolution, targets (or ceilings) for overall expenditures,
budget authority and budget outlays, and broad functional categories.
The Congress also establishes targets (or ceilings) for the levels of
revenues, the deficit, and the public debt. The Office ``keeps score''
for the Congress by monitoring the results of congressional action on
individual authorization, appropriation, and revenue bills against the
targets (or ceilings) specified in the concurrent resolution.
Cost Projections The Office prepares multiyear cost estimates for
carrying out any public bill or resolution reported by congressional
committees. As soon as practicable after the beginning of each fiscal
year, CBO also provides multiyear projections on the costs of continuing
current Federal spending and taxation policies.
Annual Report on the Budget The Office is responsible for submitting to
the House and Senate Budget Committees each year a report with respect
to fiscal policy that includes alternative spending and revenue levels
and 5-year baseline projections of the Federal budget.
Federal Mandates To better assess the impact of laws on State, local,
and tribal governments and the private sector, the Congress passed the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995. The act amends the Congressional
Budget Act to require CBO to give authorizing committees a statement
about whether reported bills contain Federal mandates. If the 5-year
direct costs of an intergovernmental or private-sector mandate exceed
specified thresholds, CBO must provide an estimate of those costs (if
feasible) and the basis of the estimate.
Budget-Related Studies The Office undertakes studies requested by the
Congress on budget-related areas. This service is provided in the
following order of priority to: the House and Senate Budget Committees;
the House and
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Senate Appropriations Committees, the Senate Finance Committee, and the
House Ways and Means Committee; and all other congressional committees.
Sequestration Reports The Office prepares advisory reports mandated by
the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as
amended (2 U.S.C. 901), to estimate whether proposed spending levels
breach categorical spending limits and, if so, to estimate the amount
and percentage of budget resources that should be sequestered to
eliminate any excesses.
Pay-As-You-Go The Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of
1985, as amended (2 U.S.C. 901), requires CBO to provide the Office of
Management and Budget with an estimate of the amount of change in
outlays or receipts for each fiscal year for any direct spending or
receipts legislation as soon as practicable after Congress completes
action on that legislation.
For further information, contact the Administration and Information
Division, Congressional Budget Office, Second and D Streets SW.,
Washington, DC 20515. Phone, 202-226-2600. Internet, http://
www.cbo.gov/.