Here is an estimated timeline of when important actionsshould occur in the second session of the 112th Congress:
Mid February: The President will submit his annual budget proposals to Congress. On or before this date we'll find out exactly what the Pentagon and Administration will propose in order to cut $450 billion in defense spending over the next decade. Pay freezes, manpower cuts, TRICARE fee increases, retirement changes, and more could be included in the proposal.
Late February: Current extension of the Medicare/TRICARE “DOC Fix” expires on 29 February. Congress must act before then to avoid a 30% reduction in fees paid to providers.
Late March: Six weeks after the President delivers his budget to Congress, congressional committees are required to submit their "views and estimates" of spending and revenues within their respective jurisdictions to the House and Senate Budget Committees.
April: House and Senate Budget Committees draft and mark up concurrent resolution on the budget, which sets spending limits for the year. April 15 is the deadline for completion of action on the budget resolution (though partisan and fiscal differences have precluded approval of a formal budget resolution in recent years, and that may prove true again in 2012.)
May: The House and Senate Armed Services Committees will likely begin work on the FY2013 Defense Authorization Bill, including any changes that may be imposed by budget resolution spending limits.
May-July: Full House and Senate pass their respective versions of the defense bill.
July-October: House and Senate negotiators resolve differences between their respective versions.
October-December: Final Defense Authorization Bill passed by House and Senate and becomes law.
November 6: Presidential and Congressional elections.
December 31: Deadline to pass an alternative debt reduction plan in order to avoid the sequestration process that will cut another $600 billion from defense spending over the next decade.
