Law360, New York ( March 22, 2015, 11:56 AM EDT) -- This week both chambers begin the annual congressional budget debate, a process that will set the budget rules and the spending limits for the congressional appropriations committees to follow in funding federal agencies for fiscal year 2016, which begins on Oct. 1. While a congressional budget resolution is not signed into law by the president, when passed by both chambers it serves as an agreement between the House and Senate on a budget framework for any spending or revenue legislation moving forward. The statutory deadline by which Congress must pass a budget is April 15, and adoption of a budget is important if Republicans want to use the vehicle of reconciliation, which provides procedural benefits in the Senate, to try to enact significant legislation....