What is Federal Appropriations?
Broadly speaking, the Federal Appropriations process is the process through which Congress appropriates funding for federal agencies and programs. There are twelve appropriations bills that are drafted and put forward by the Appropriations Committees in the House and Senate every year. Once enacted, these bills provide specific dollar amounts and direction to the administration for agency action and programmatic funding.
The Subcommittees of the Senate Appropriations Committee
- Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Defense
- Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
- Subcommittee on Homeland Security
- Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
- Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
- Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies
Terms to Know
President's Budget Request: The President's budget request serves as a statement of Administration policy priorities as well as a detailed plan for the allocation of budgetary resources and execution of government activities.
Programmatic Request: Programmatic requests seek to express general support for funding a program or to request a specific amount of funding for a specific program.
Language-based Request: Language-based requests seek to add some type of language to either the appropriations bill or the appropriations bill's accompanying committee report.
Congressionally Directed Spending Request: Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS or 'earmarks') requests seek to direct funding within a specific program or account to a specified state, local government or nonprofit recipient for a specific project or initiative. CDS are subject to House and Senate earmark disclosure rules.
Committee Reports: Committee reports (or other explanatory text) accompany appropriations bills and affect how federal agencies interpret and obligate the funds provided in each bill.
Continuing Resolutions: A continuing resolution (CR) provides appropriations based on the funding levels appropriated in the prior fiscal year. Generally, CRs do not include report language or CDS requests.
Government Shutdown: When a lapse in funding occurs, federal agencies are required to commence a shutdown of affected projects and activities. Current law generally prohibits the obligation of funds in the absence of appropriations.
Approximate Federal Appropriations Process Timeline
First Monday in February: Submission of the President's budget request to Congress
February: Senator Baldwin begins accepting appropriations requests online (Programmatic Requests, Defense Requests and CDS Requests)
March-May: Appropriations Committee starts accepting member submissions with hard deadlines for each subcommittee
June-July: Appropriations Committee develops and considers twelve appropriations bills
July: Appropriations Committee releases the twelve appropriations bills and accompanying committee reports
September 30:
- If Congress considers and passes all twelve appropriations bills by 11:59pm on September 30, the government remains open and funded for the fiscal year starting October 1
- If Congress does not pass the twelve appropriations bills, a Continuing Resolution (CR) needs to pass for the government to remain open
- In the absence of passing the twelve appropriations bills or a CR, a government shutdown occurs
Types of Appropriations Requests
Programmatic Appropriations Requests seek to express support for funding a specific federal program or agency at a certain amount and/or express support for using the funding for a specific program or agency in a certain way.
Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS or “earmarks”) Requests seek to direct funding within a specific program or account to a specified state, local government, or nonprofit recipient and are subject to House and Senate earmark disclosure rules. This funding is meant as a one-off grant for a program or project that does not require yearly funding. Potential recipients of an earmark must be a nonprofit organization or state/local government entity. All Members of Congress that submit earmark requests are required to certify that they or any members of their immediate family do not have any financial interest in any of the items requested, verified through financial certification and public disclosure of the requests on their website.