Every year, the United States Congress is responsible for writing, passing, reconciling, and submitting to the president of the United States a series of appropriations bills that appropriate money to specific federal government departments, agencies, and programs for their use to operate in the subsequent fiscal year. The money provides funding for operations, personnel, equipment, and activities. In 2014, Congress was responsible for passing the appropriations bills that would fund the federal government in fiscal year 2015, which runs from October 1, 2014, to September 30, 2015.

There are twelve regular appropriations bills that are supposed to be passed by October 1 each year. As of June 18, 2014, the United States House of Representatives had passed five regular appropriations bills and was debating another. The United States Senate had not passed any appropriations bills by June 18, 2014, but was working on a "minibus" appropriations bill that would take the place of three of the regular appropriations bills.

Appropriations bills

An appropriations bill is a bill that appropriates (gives to, sets aside for) money to specific federal government departments, agencies, and programs. The money provides funding for operations, personnel, equipment, and activities. Regular appropriations bills are passed annually, with the funding they provide covering one fiscal year. The fiscal year is the accounting period of the federal government, which runs from October 1 to September 30 of the following year. Appropriations bills are under the jurisdiction of the United States House Committee on Appropriations and the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations. Both Committees have twelve matching subcommittees, each tasked with working on one of the twelve annual regular appropriations bills.

There are three types of appropriations bills: regular appropriations bills, continuing resolutions, and supplemental appropriations bills. Regular appropriations bills are the twelve standard bills that cover the funding for the federal government for one fiscal year and that are supposed to be enacted into law by October 1. If Congress has not enacted the regular appropriations bills by the time, it may pass a continuing resolution, which generally continues the pre-existing appropriations at the same levels as the previous fiscal year (or with minor modifications) for a set amount of time. The third type of appropriations bills are supplemental appropriations bills, which add additional funding above and beyond what was originally appropriated at the beginning of the fiscal year. Supplemental appropriations bills can be used for things like disaster relief.

Appropriations process

Traditionally, after a federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year has been passed, the appropriations subcommittees receive information about what the budget sets as their spending ceilings. This is called 302(b) allocations after section 302(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. That amount is separated into smaller amounts for each of the twelve Subcommittees. The federal budget does not become law and is not signed by the President. Instead, it is a guide for the House and the Senate in making appropriations and tax decisions. However, no budget is required and each chamber has procedures in place for what to do without one. The House and Senate now consider appropriations bills simultaneously, although originally the House went first. The House Committee on Appropriations usually reports the appropriations bills in May and June and the Senate in June. Any differences between appropriations bills passed by the House and the Senate are resolved in the fall.

Fiscal year 2015 appropriations timeline April 17, 2014 - The Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2015 () was introduced in the House by Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK). April 17, 2014 - The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 () was introduced in the House by Rep. John Culberson (R-TX). April 30, 2014 - The House voted in Roll Call Vote 187 to pass H.R. 4486 by a vote of 416–1. May 1, 2014 - The House voted in Roll Call Vote 193 to pass H.R. 4487 by a vote of 402–14. May 15, 2014 - The Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 () was introduced in the House by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA). May 27, 2014 - The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 () was introduced into the House by Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA). May 30, 2014 - The House voted to pass H.R. 4660 in Roll Call Vote 269 by a vote of 321–87. June 4, 2014 - The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 () was introduced in the House by Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL). June 10, 2014 - The House voted in Roll Call Vote 297 to pass H.R. 4745 by a vote of 229–192. June 13, 2014 - The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2015 () was introduced in the House by Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ). June 17, 2014 - H.R. 4660 used by the Senate as a "minibus" legislative vehicle for multiple appropriations bills. June 18, 2014 - H.R. 4870 considered and amended on the House floor. July 2, 2014 - The Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 5016; 113th Congress) is introduced into the House by Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-FL). July 7, 2014 (week of) - H.R. 4923 considered and amended on the House floor. July 14, 2014 - House begins consideration and amendments process for H.R. 5016.

Appropriations bills for fiscal year 2015

Summary House bill $ Senate bill $ Departments and agencies covered Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 4800; 113th Congress) $20.9 billion "Minibus" amendment to H.R. 4660 $120 billion Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 4660; 113th Congress) $51.2 billion "Minibus" amendment to H.R. 4660 $120 billion Department of Commerce, Department of Justice, NASA, and National Science Foundation Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 4870; 113th Congress) $491 billion Department of Defense Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 4923; 113th Congress) $34 billion Department of Energy and Water Development Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 5016; 113th Congress) $21.285 billion Department of the Treasury, United States federal courts, the Executive Office of the President, and Washington, D.C. appropriationsDepartment of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 240; 114 Congress) $60.9 billion Department of Homeland Security Department of the Interior and Environmental Protection Agency Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Education Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 4487; 113th Congress) $3.3 billion United States Congress Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 4486; 113th Congress) $71.5 billion. Military Construction and Department of Veterans Affairs Department of State and Foreign Operations Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 4745; 113th Congress) $52 billion "Minibus" amendment to H.R. 4660 $120 billion Department of Transportation and Department of Housing and Urban Development

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 4800; 113th Congress) would appropriate $20.9 billion. The funding would go to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its programs and services, such as the United States Secretary of Agriculture, the National Appeals Division, the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics, the Economic Research Service, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the Agricultural Research Service, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the Office of the Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Agricultural Marketing Service, the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, the Farm Service Agency, the Risk Management Agency, and other related agencies. One controversial provision of the bill was the provision that would waive the requirement that schools follow certain nutritional requirements in their school lunches, requirements that first lady Michelle Obama has been a strong supporter of.

Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies The Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 4660; 113th Congress) would appropriate $51.2 billion, approximately $400 million less than fiscal year 2014. The bill would fund the United States Department of Commerce, the United States Department of Justice, and various related agencies. Those related agencies included the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Commission on Civil Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the International Trade Commission, the Legal Services Corporation, the Marine Mammal Commission, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, and the State Justice Institute.

The Senate amended H.R. 4660 to use it as a legislative vehicle for a "minibus" bill that would appropriate funding for the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Department of Transportation, and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as the Departments of Commerce and Justice covered by the original House bill. The bill would appropriate $120 billion total for all of those agencies.

Department of Defense The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 4870; 113th Congress) would provide funding for the United States Department of Defense for fiscal year 2015 of approximately $491 billion. The bill included a provision that forbade the transfer of Guantanamo Bay prisoners, a reaction to the controversial exchange of five prisoners in exchange for the return of Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl from the Taliban. Two amendments from Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) failed. The first would have prohibited the use of any funds for use with the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 in order to give the Iraq War "an official, legal end." The amendment was voted down 31–17, with Rep. Frelinghuysen arguing that there were no funds devoted to Iraq in the bill and all the troops had left in 2011. Lee's second amendment would have required the executive branch to report to Congress on actions taken under the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists from 13 years ago. This amendment was also defeated, 27–21, with Frelinghuysen arguing that it could give away classified information.

Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 4923; 113th Congress) would make appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for FY2015. The bill would appropriate $34 billion, which is only $50 million less than these agencies currently receive. The appropriations for the United States Department of Energy and the United States Army Corps of Engineers are made by this bill.

Financial Services and General Government