The House Tuesday rejected 217-201 a proposal to move to a two-year budget, a key part of a bill to bring sweeping changes to what most legislators agree is a flawed budget process, the Associated Press reported.
The legislation also included setting up a rainy day fund for emergencies and ending the possibility of year-end government shutdowns.
The biennial budget idea was backed by President Clinton and legislators who argued it would give Congress more time to oversee the federal programs it funds. But opponents said having only one shot at the budget every two years could result in less fiscal discipline and the ceding of power to the executive branch.
The budget resolution would have been given the status of a law, subject to the president's signature, a move that would bring the president into the process earlier in the year and help avoid year-end showdowns.
The biennial budget was offered as an amendment to the most far-reaching overhaul in more than a quarter century of the way Congress puts together the budget. It faces uncertain prospects in the Senate, which is generally more resistant to institutional change.
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