Carter signs Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1980, first use of the reconciliation process

President Carter signed the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1980 into law on December 5, 1980, making it the first legislation enacted through the budget reconciliation process created by the 1974 Budget Act. The law cut approximately $8.2 billion in federal spending from domestic programs including Medicaid, food stamps, and federal employee benefits. David Stockman, then a congressman from Michigan and soon to become Reagan's budget director, played a leading role in designing the cuts.