You've heard whispers. Perhaps here and there in the news there's been mention, yet again, of the potential for a government shutdown. So here's the update you need – in handy cheat-sheet format.

When lawmakers in the House passed an agriculture bill last week that effectively eliminated funding for the food stamp program, they were pulling nutrition assistance from millions of at-risk families.

They don't agree on much, but in at least one way the House and Senate are on the same page: They both want to increase military funding next year.

The 2011 Budget Control Act set the stage for the harsh automatic budget cuts known as sequestration to take place on January 1, 2013. These cuts will go on for a decade unless Congress agrees to stop them. Some initiatives, like the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, have been cut by more than 20 percent.

    May 15 marks the unofficial start of the annual appropriations process on Capitol Hill, where members of the House and Senate funding committees can begin putting together the 12 annual spending bills that support many domestic federal programs and the Pentagon.But first, let’s take a step back. Actually, ...

Today President Obama released his fiscal 2014 budget proposal, which set a record for arriving two months after the legal deadline of the first Monday in February. Here are the top five things to know about the new budget.

Back in January, however, the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced it would delay the scheduled Feb. 4 release of the president’s fiscal year 2014 budget request until early March or later, and it is now expected to be released the week of April 8 – so late it will set a presidential record.

After months of inaction on the federal budget, Congress is now wrapping up work on two – the budget for fiscal year 2013, which began back on Oct. 1, 2012, and the first steps in a budget for fiscal 2014, which will begin on Oct. 1, 2013.

Three budget proposals for 2014 arrived in Congress this week – one authored by House Budget Chair Paul Ryan, another by Senate Budget Chair Patty Murray, and one by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Here are the top five things to know.

Today House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan released his budget resolution for fiscal 2014. The proposal includes many of the same elements as his proposal last year – including deep cuts to spending on health care and safety-net programs like food stamps, plus reductions in many other kinds of spending.