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A summary from AI Overview:
Key Stages in the Appropriations Process
President’s Budget Request: The process begins, usually in February, with the President submitting a budget proposal to Congress.
Budget Resolution: Congress passes a budget resolution setting top-line spending limits (302(a) allocations) for the House and Senate Appropriations Committees
Subcommittee Allocations (302(b)): The Appropriations Committees divide the total budget into 12 parts, or 302(b) allocations, for each of their 12 subcommittees.
Drafting & Markup: Subcommittees hold hearings and write their specific funding bills.
House and Senate Action: Bills are debated, amended, and voted on by the full House and Senate.
Conference Committee: Differences between the House and Senate versions of the bills are negotiated and resolved.
Final Approval & Signature: The reconciled, final bill must be approved by both houses and signed by the President to become law.
Key Concepts
Fiscal Year: The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30.
Omnibus Bill: If the 12 bills are not passed individually, they are often combined into an "omnibus" bill to fund the government, as described by the Library of Congress Research Guides.
Continuing Resolution (CR): Temporary funding legislation used if the regular bills are not passed by October 1, allowing agencies to continue operating, as explained in this YouTube video.
Authorization vs. Appropriation: A two-step process where "authorizations" establish programs and recommend funding, while "appropriations" actually provide the funds to spend, says EveryCRSReport.com.
If Congress cannot pass the bills or a CR, a government shutdown occurs, as detailed in this YouTube video.
