Principles of Federal Appropriations Law - US Government ...

2. Congressional Action
a. Summary of Congressional
Process
Chapter 1
Introduction
President’s budget request. Specific instructions and policy guidance are
contained in OMB Circular No. A-11, Preparation, Submission and
Execution of the Budget (July 25, 2003).
In exercising the broad discretion granted by the Constitution, Congress
can approve funding levels contained in the President’s budget request,
increase or decrease those levels, eliminate proposals, or add programs not
requested by the administration.
In simpler times, appropriations were often made in the form of a single,
consolidated appropriation act. The most recent regular consolidated
appropriation act 50 was the General Appropriation Act of 1951, Pub. L.
No. 759, 64 Stat. 595 (Sept. 6, 1950). Since that time, appropriations have
generally been made in a series of regular appropriation acts plus one or
more supplemental appropriation acts. Most regular appropriation acts are
organized based on one or more major departments and a number of
smaller agencies (corresponding to the jurisdiction of appropriations
subcommittees), although a few are based solely on function. An agency
may receive funds under more than one appropriation act. The individual
structures are of course subject to change over time. At the present time,
there are 13 regular appropriation acts, as follows:
Departments of Commerce, Justice, State, the Judiciary, and related
agencies;
Department of Defense;
Department of the Interior and related agencies;
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and
related agencies;
Department of Homeland Security;
50 For a few years in the mid-1980s, very few regular appropriation acts were passed,
resulting in consolidated continuing resolutions for those years.
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