Fact Check: "The U.S. federal budget is subject to approval by Congress."
What We Know
The U.S. federal budget process is a structured series of steps that culminates in the approval of funding by Congress. Each year, Congress begins work on the federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which runs from October 1 to September 30 of the following year. The process begins with federal agencies submitting budget requests to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which then compiles these requests into a budget proposal for the president. The president submits this proposal to Congress early in the year, typically in February (source-1, source-4).
Congress plays a crucial role in this process. After receiving the president's budget proposal, both the House and Senate create their own budget resolutions. These resolutions must be negotiated and merged, and both chambers must pass a single version of each funding bill. Once Congress approves these funding bills, they are sent to the president for signature or veto (source-1, source-4).
Analysis
The claim that the U.S. federal budget is subject to approval by Congress is substantiated by the established procedures outlined in the Congressional Budget Act and further detailed in various government resources. The budget process includes multiple stages, such as the president's budget submission, the adoption of the budget resolution, and the passage of appropriation bills, all of which require congressional action (source-2, source-3).
The reliability of these sources is high, as they come from official government websites and documents that outline the federal budget process. The U.S. House Committee on the Budget and the Congressional Research Service provide detailed and accurate descriptions of the budget process, ensuring that the information is credible and authoritative (source-4, source-6).
In summary, the evidence strongly supports the assertion that Congress has the authority to approve the federal budget. The structured process requires congressional involvement at multiple stages, including the negotiation and passage of funding bills.
Conclusion
Verdict: True
The claim that "The U.S. federal budget is subject to approval by Congress" is accurate. The federal budget process is designed to ensure that Congress plays a pivotal role in determining federal spending, requiring both houses to approve the budget before it can be enacted.