Posts Tagged ‘appropriations’

The fiscal cliff negotiations, which likely will determine whether federal agencies will endure more than $100 billion in across-the-board spending cuts in the current fiscal year, may force the White House to miss the statutory deadline for releasing the fiscal 2014 budget request, Politico reported. The White House told the publication that preparation of the annual budget already has fallen behind schedule, with “passbacks” having been put on hold …

With attention on Capitol Hill focused on averting the fiscal cliff, it’s becoming increasingly likely that lawmakers will resort to passing a second, six-month continuing resolution to fund the federal government through the end of fiscal 2013. Lawmakers most likely would approve the second stopgap measure right before the current one runs out on March 27 …

Fifteen days after the lame-duck Congress adjourns, the Office of Management and Budget will be forced to pare fiscal 2013 defense spending by $11 billion to enforce the defense spending cap imposed by last year’s Budget Control Act. This second sequester is separate from the $52 billion in automatic cuts the department is facing as part of the fiscal cliff. It results from the continuing resolution lawmakers passed in September, which provided $557 billion for defense on an annual basis, an amount that exceeds the law’s spending cap by $11 billion …

House leaders are considering holding a vote shortly on a $1.047 trillion omnibus spending bill for fiscal 2013. The House and Senate appropriations committees have reached agreement on four or five of the 12 spending bills, including the defense measure, reported the Hill. One point of contention is the topline spending level for the package …

Defense community leaders are hopeful Congress will act on sequestration, defense authorization and related spending bills in the remaining weeks of the 112th Congress, ADC President Bob Murdock wrote to congressional leaders. “Among the most immediate concerns is the need to reverse sequestration,” Murdock writes in Nov. 16 letters to Defense Communities Caucus co-chairs, House and Senate leaders, and key committee members. “Our communities would be among the first impacted by drastic defense spending cuts if implemented in January 2013 …

Staff for the House and Senate Appropriations committees are nearing completion on an omnibus spending bill to fund the government through the end of fiscal 2013 even though congressional leaders have not yet indicated whether they are interested in clearing the package, or simply extending the current stopgap funding bill. Appropriators are pushing for the omnibus — which would combine individual spending bills for each of the 12 appropriations subcommittees — because it would mean work done earlier in the year preparing each of the bills would not go to waste …

A change in House Republican rules that would have permitted earmarks for military construction projects and other “directed spending” funneled to government agencies did not go forward last week due to overwhelming opposition from fellow members. Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), known for pushing the “Bridge to Nowhere,” planned on offering an amendment to Republican conference rules allowing an earmark directing funding to the federal government, a state or a unit of local government if the sponsor is identified, the earmark is initiated in committee and it falls within the appropriations subcommittee’s budget allocation …

Even if the Pentagon sidesteps automatic spending cuts in the coming years, budget officials still will need to get a handle on the exploding growth in several defense accounts, starting with pay and benefits for personnel. In fiscal 2012, DOD spent about $156 billion on military personnel, but the administration’s proposals to rein in its costs have received a cool reception from Capitol Hill. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and his predecessor Robert Gates have asked Congress to limit pay increases for troops and increase contributions from beneficiaries for military health care …

Tuesday’s election did not change the leadership slots on the military construction appropriations subcommittees in either the House or Senate, although several committee members will depart each of the panels at the end of the 112th Congress. Two senators, one from each side of the aisle, will be leaving that chamber’s milcon spending panel due to retirement — Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) …

Averting sequestration is Congress’ most important task when it returns to Washington after the election next month, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters Thursday. Sequestration starts on Jan. 2 unless lawmakers reach a bipartisan agreement to replace the $55 billion in automatic defense cuts slated for fiscal 2013. “This is a full agenda,” Panetta said. “It’s one that requires Democrats and Republicans to work together …