The Budget Process for the Fiscal Year 2010

New Budget Proposal

In late February, 2009, the president will present Congress with his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10). Because this is a transition year and the president has only been in office about a month, the FY10 budget proposal will be an outline, or “budget blueprint”. The president will release a more detailed budget proposal in late April or early May 2009 to help direct the Appropriations Committees.

Budget Resolutions

Immediately following the release of the president’s proposal, the House and Senate Budget Committees meet to consider major categories of spending and propose a budget resolution for their respective chambers to approve. By the spring, both the House and Senate must pass their respective budget resolutions. The budget resolution names a ceiling for “discretionary spending,” which is the amount available to Congress for all of its appropriations bills.

Appropriations

Each chamber has an appropriations committee with twelve subcommittees. After Congress sets the ceiling for discretionary spending, each subcommittee allocates funds to specific federal agencies and programs under its authority. For instance, the Labor, Health and Human Services Subcommittee allocates funds for the Department of Education and the National Institute on Occupational Safety and Health. Once a subcommittee agrees on its appropriation bill, the bill must be approved by the full appropriation committee and then the full House or Senate. That’s why, in a classic world, twelve appropriations bills are considered by each chamber, agreed upon, and signed by the president.

For a fuller explanation of the three stages of budget work, see The Federal Budget, A Congressional Performance in Three Acts.

How You Can Direct the Appropriation Process

Step One: Find out whether your representative or one of your senators serves on an appropriations committee.

Step Two: If one of your senators or your representative is on an appropriations subcommittee, you have a special opportunity to lobby them about the particular programs assigned to them. Use your special chance: stay in touch with them throughout the process (about January to July).

If you are concerned about:	Stay in touch with members of these appropriations sub-committees:
Military spending, conventional weapons, funds for wars in Iraq, Afghanistan.	Defense Committee and and Military Construction, Veterans’ Affairs, and Related Agencies
Nuclear weapons, nuclear waste	Energy and Water Development
Peaceful prevention of deadly conflict, conflict resolution, reconstruction, diplomatic services	State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
International aid, education and cultural exchange programs	State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Contributions to international organizations	State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Energy programs	Energy and Water Development
Environmental protection	Interior, Environment and Related Agencies
Immigration, border patrol	Homeland Security
Disaster Assistance Loans; Emergency Food and Shelter	Homeland Security
Native American Affairs	Interior, Environment and Related Agencies
Nutrition programs: food stamps, food banks, school lunches, food for elderly, WIC program, etc	Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Education programs – elementary to college	Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education, and Related Agencies
Health care and health research (other than Medicaid and Medicare, which are funded as entitlements)	Labor, HHS, Education, and Related Agencies
Social Services (child care, elder care, child support enforcement, community programs, etc. )	Labor, HHS, Education, and Related Agencies
Employment training, displaced worker programs, etc.	Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Affordable housing	Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (HUD)