From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Authorization / Authorization Act Authorization – Provision in law that establishes or continues a program or agency and authorizes appropriations for it. Basic, substantive legislation that establishes or continues the legal operation of a federal program or agency, either indefinitely or for a specific period … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Limitation photo credit: craigCloutier Language in legislation or in legislative documents that restricts the availability of an appropriation by limiting its use or amount. A restriction on the amount, purpose, or period of availability of budget authority. While limitations are most often established through appropriations … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Deferral Any executive branch action or inaction that temporarily withholds, delays, or effectively precludes the obligation or expenditure of budgetary resources. The president reports deferrals to Congress by special message. They are not identified separately in the budget. Deferral: Executive branch action to defer, or … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Budget Authority photo credit: Carly & Art The key terms of federal spending are budget authority, obligations, outlays, and spendout rate. Congress and the president enact budget authority in law. Budget authority allows federal agencies to incur obligations, such as entering into contracts, employing personnel, … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Appropriation / Cardinals of Congress David Hawkings’ Whiteboard: How Appropriations is Supposed to Work Appropriation: Provision of law that provides authority for federal agencies to obligate funds and to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. Appropriations for the federal government … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Antideficiency Act / Antideficiency Act Violation photo credit: .through my eyes. The Antideficiency Act is a federal law (Pub.L. 97-258, 96 Stat. 923, 1982, 31 U.S.C. §§ 1341-1342, 1511-1519) that: Prohibits the making of expenditures or the incurring of obligations in advance of an appropriation … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Sequester / Sequestration photo credit: pheezy The cancellation of budgetary resources pursuant to the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990. If canceled, sequestration funds will not be available for obligation or expenditure. Sequestration may occur in response to the enactment of appropriations that cause a breach … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Account / Appropriation Account photo credit: kenteegardin Hearing: Environmental Protection Agency Budget Account: A separate financial reporting unit for budget, management, and/or accounting purposes. All budgetary transactions are recorded in accounts, but not all accounts are budgetary in nature. Some accounts do not … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Discretionary usually modifies “spending,” “appropriation,” or “amount.” Discretionary spending refers to outlays from budget authority that is provided in and controlled by annual appropriation acts. Discretionary appropriation refers to those budgetary resources that are provided in appropriation acts, other than those that fund mandatory programs. … Read more
Advanced Legislative Strategies photo credit: garryknight This advanced three-day course builds on the skills of those who have already learned the legislative process and basic congressional operations. In this course, participants learn how to develop high-level strategies and tactics to help educate Congress and influence legislation. August 3-5, 2011, 9 am – 4 pm all … Read more