“Supreme Court Narrows Dormant Commerce Clause and Upholds State Animal Welfare Law,” CRS Legal Sidebar LSB11031, August 31, 2023 (8-page PDF) “Salaries of Members of Congress: Congressional Votes, 1990-2023,” CRS Report 97-615, August 29, 2023 (41-page PDF) “Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables,” CRS Report 97-1011, August 29, 2023 (34-page PDF) … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Backdoor Authority / Backdoor Spending A colloquial phrase for budget authority provided in laws other than appropriations acts, including contract authority and borrowing authority, as well as entitlement authority and the outlays that result from that budget authority. Fiscal Law #1 – Overview … 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 Fiscal Year photo credit: MBoy68 Fiscal Year: Any yearly accounting period, regardless of its relationship to a calendar year. The federal government’s annual accounting period. Financial operations of the government are carried out in a 12-month accounting year, beginning on October 1 and ending on … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Offsetting Receipts Collections that are offset against gross outlays but are not authorized to be credited to expenditure accounts. Offsetting receipts are deposited in receipt accounts. Like offsetting collections, they result from (1) businesslike transactions or market-oriented activities with the public, (2) intragovernmental transfers, and … Read more