What bills does Congress have to pass, and the President must sign, in order to spend Appropriations money?

What bills does Congress have to pass, and the President must sign, in order to spend Appropriations money?

• A. Reprogramming
• B. Realignment
• C. Appropriations Bill & Authorizations Bills
• D. Doctrine

Answer: (C)

Spending appropriated funds happens through a two-step legal process. Congress must first authorize a program or activity, which creates the program and often sets policy conditions or a funding ceiling. Then Congress passes an appropriation to provide the actual money to fund that program. The President signs the appropriations bill, and typically signs the authorization as well, so the funds can be released and the program can operate. Without an appropriation, funds can’t be spent even if a program is authorized; without authorization, there isn’t a program to fund in the first place. Reprogramming, realignment, and doctrine don’t create or authorize new funding, so they aren’t the spending bills involved in this process.

Spending appropriated funds happens through a two-step legal process. Congress must first authorize a program or activity, which creates the program and often sets policy conditions or a funding ceiling. Then Congress passes an appropriation to provide the actual money to fund that program. The President signs the appropriations bill, and typically signs the authorization as well, so the funds can be released and the program can operate. Without an appropriation, funds can’t be spent even if a program is authorized; without authorization, there isn’t a program to fund in the first place. Reprogramming, realignment, and doctrine don’t create or authorize new funding, so they aren’t the spending bills involved in this process.