What does the Appropriations Committee do?

Congress annually considers 11 or more appropriations measures, which provide funding for numerous activities, for example, national defense, education, homeland security and crime. These measures also fund general government operations such as the adminstration of federal agencies. Congress has developed certain rules and practices for the consideration of appropriations measures, referred to as the congressional appropriations process. Appropriations measures are under the jurisdiction of the House and Senate Appropriations Commitees. These committees control only about 40 percent of total federal spending provided for a fiscal year. The House and Senate legislative committees control the rest. There are three types of appropriations measures. Regular appropriations bills provide most of the funding that is provided in all appropriations measures for a fiscal year, and must be enacted by October 1 of each year. If regular bills are not enacted by the deadline, Congress adopts ... more