This time, Congress speaks up.

This article discusses how the United States congress engaged in genuine debate over the federal budget. The congressional debate on the military budget is real this year. In the past, the issue has been decided in high-level "summits" between administration officials and a handful of key members of Congress. The Pentagon received its allotment as part of a political deal on social programs, deficit reduction, and taxes. Rank-and-file members, even those on committees with primary jurisdiction over the budget, had very little say in the process. But congressional Democrats--feeling abused by last year's fight over the capital gains tax and other skirmishes--have sworn off budget summits with the Bush White House.