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Constitutional Law Keyed to Rotunda
Bowsher v. Synar
Citation:
478 U.S. 714 (1986)Facts
In 1985, the President signed into law the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. The purpose of the Act is to eliminate the federal budget deficit. The Act sets a maximum deficit amount for federal spending for each year from 1986 through 1991. The size of the maximum deficit amount progressively reduces to zero in 1991. If in any year, the federal budget deficit exceeds the maximum deficit amount by more than a specified term, the Act requires across-the-board cuts in federal spending. The Comptroller General after reviewing the annual report, reports his conclusions to the President. The President must issue an order mandating the spending reductions specified by the Comptroller General. There follows a period during which Congress may by legislation reduce spending to obviate the need for the order.
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