So a budget resolution fails to move, is it the end of the world?

In February, the administration released its budget proposal for the 2011 fiscal year. There was significantly less press surrounding the President's release of the budget than there was for the 2010 budget, mostly because of the health care debate. Since its release, the budget has gone absolutely nowhere. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has said she is looking for a way to satisfy her diverse caucus, but that it was proving very difficult. Many have wondered if a budget resolution will pass through Congress at all. Kent Conrad (D-ND), the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, has said the prospect for a 2011 budget resolution is "fading". Congress has not failed to even consider a budget blueprint since 1974. If Congress does not end up passing a budget resolution, will this be a major setback for the Obama Administration?

The fact of the matter is it probably would. The 2011 budget blueprint does a lot of things which would be very good for the country. It allows most of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy to expire, creates a $90 billion dollar bank tax, increased infrastructure spending, and major reductions in oil/gas/coal subsidies. These are things that will not likely come up for consideration this year, due to the huge number of legislative items currently waiting to be marked up in committee. Furthermore, the failure of the 2011 budget resolution would send a message to voters that Democrats cannot govern effectively, even with one of the largest congressional majorities for decades.

Congress has until October 1st of this year to complete the budget process, though if the ball is not rolling yet, it is unlikely they will have enough time to complete it.