Final answer:
Upon reaching Congress, the president's budget proposal is first reviewed by the House and Senate Budget Committees. This precedes a detailed process of setting targets, committees hearings, floor debates, and potential amendments before passing both chambers and being submitted to the president for approval or veto.
Step-by-step explanation:
Upon reaching Congress, the president's budget proposal is first referred to the House and Senate Budget Committees. It is critical to understand that this is the initial step in a complex process involving debate, amendment, and approval across different congress committees and chambers.
The House of Representatives primarily handles the discretionary spending side by setting expenditure targets through its committees. These targets are then used to determine the appropriations, leading to committee hearings, debates, and expert consultations. Following this, the House votes on the overall budget which then moves to the Senate for its own review and potential amendments.
If differences arise in the budget versions from the two chambers, a conference committee is formed to reconcile the disparities. Following this reconciliatory phase and passage in both chambers, the adjusted budget is sent to the president for either approval, by signing, or rejection, through a veto. The entire process showcases the legislative role of Congress in federal budgeting.