Budget Reform Act of 2025

This bill would change how the federal budget is made and tracked. Instead of doing budgets every year, the government would move to a two-year cycle. Congress would pass two-year budget plans and two-year spending bills in odd-numbered years, and agencies would plan and report on a two-year basis. Most of these changes would start on January 1, 2027, and apply to the two-year period that begins with fiscal year 2028; some agency planning updates would start March 1, 2026 .

It would also require “zero-based budgeting.” Agencies would have to justify each activity from the ground up and present lower-cost options, rather than starting from last year’s level. This begins for the FY2028–FY2029 cycle, with an interim version used earlier. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are not part of these materials. The Office of Management and Budget must issue guidelines that assume each agency’s baseline is zero . The Congressional Budget Office must “show its work” by publishing the models and data it uses, starting six months after this becomes law .

To push timely budgets, the bill limits taxpayer-funded travel:

• If the President’s budget is late, political appointees and the President cannot use federal funds for most official travel until it’s submitted, with exceptions for a return trip to Washington, local travel in the capital region, and national security events .
• If Congress misses budget deadlines, Members cannot use federal funds for travel until they finish the required work .
• The President may not be invited to address a joint session of Congress until sending both the National Security Strategy and the budget request, unless there is a national security emergency .

It would also make it harder for the Senate to waive certain budget rules by raising the vote needed to do so to two-thirds .

Key points

• Who is affected: Federal agencies, Congress, the President and political appointees, and the Congressional Budget Office .
• What changes: Two-year budgeting and spending; zero-based budgeting; CBO publishes methods and data; travel limits if deadlines are missed; higher Senate threshold to waive budget rules .
• When: Most budget-cycle changes start January 1, 2027 (for FY2028–FY2029 and beyond); some agency planning changes start March 1, 2026; CBO transparency starts 6 months after enactment .