Measures Set General Policy

The budget resolutions, by setting spending guidelines, also help steer policy decisions that will be made in the appropriations process. For example, both versions call for tougher enforcement of tax laws and would increase spending for VA medical care. The House version calls for crackdowns on waste in fraud including Medicare, Social Security and unemployment insurance and would direct more resources to address claims backlogs in Social Security, veterans benefits and other programs—with potential implications for federal employees working on those programs. Meanwhile, the measures could make it difficult for Congress to enact improvements in employee benefits since they seek to control overall spending and require that certain new spending be offset with equal savings.