After weeks of congressional negotiation and outright quarreling, a deal has emerged to provide 2012 funding for government operations. Follow the 2012 spending...
By Jolie Lee and Jack Moore
Federal News Radio
After weeks of congressional negotiations and outright quarreling, a deal has emerged to provide 2012 funding for government operations.
Congressional appropriations, providing spending levels for agencies and departments, are approved in a series of 12 annual spending bills. Most years are fraught with partisan wrangling but this year saw perhaps even more of its share.
Since the fiscal year began Oct. 1, Congress had to vote through three stopgap continuing resolutions to keep the government afloat as it tried various tactics to approve spending bills.
Last month, congressional appropriators moved through three spending bills wrapped into one, which came to be known as a minibus.
This week, after speculation about a shutdown swelled, lawmakers were on track to approve the remaining nine bills in one large spending bill.
Below, track 2012 spending levels agency-by agency. (Numbers are based on the House summary of the spending bill.)
The Senate, on Friday, released its summary of the 2012 spending bill. It mostly tracks the House version, however there are some differences in funding levels and in how the appropriations are organized.
2012 funding |
Comparison |
Highlights/details |
$662 billion |
— $5.1 billion above 2011 levels
— $20.8 billion below President’s request |
The bill includes a 1.6 percent pay raise, increases to TRICARE premiums capped at the cost-of-living adjustment and an extension on a contractor salary cap to include all contractor employees, not just the top executives. Also, the chief of the National Guard becomes a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Read more. |
2012 funding
Comparison
Highlights/details
$32 billion
|
2012 funding |
Comparison |
Highlights/details |
Treasury Department |
$12.2 billion |
— $882 million below 2011 levels — $2 billion below President’s request |
|
Internal Revenue Service |
$11.8 billion |
— $305 million below 2011 levels — $1.5 billion below President’s request |
|
Small Business Administration |
$919 million |
— $189 million above 2011 levels | The disaster loan program receives an increase of $72 million. |
Judiciary |
$6.5 billion |
— $55 million above 2011 levels — $324 million below President’s request |
|
Securities and Exchange Commission |
$1.3 billion |
— $136 million above 2011 levels — $86 million below President’s request |
Department/agency |
2012 funding |
Comparison |
Highlights/details |
Homeland Security Department |
$39.6 billion |
— $2 billion below 2011 levels
—$4 billion below President’s request |
|
Customs and Border Protection |
$11.7 billion |
— $362 million above 2011 levels | Includes $775 million for border security fence technology. |
Immigration and Customs |
$5.9 billion |
— $50 million above 2011 levels | |
Transportation Security Administration |
$7.8 billion |
— $153 million above 2011 levels
— $274 million below President’s request |
|
Coast Guard |
$10 billion |
— $86 million above 2011 levels | |
FEMA |
$4.7 billion |
— $2.9 billion below 2011 levels | An additional $6.4 billion in emergency disaster assistance was included in the minibus bill that passed in November. |
Department/agency |
2012 funding |
Comparison |
Highlights/details |
Environmental Protection Agency |
$8.4 billion |
— $233 million below 2011 levels
— $524 million below President’s request |
Includes a 5 percent cut to EPA’s regulatory programs. The budget for the EPA’s immediate office will be reduced by one-third. |
U.S. Forest Service |
$4.6 billion |
— $91 million below 2011 levels | |
National Park Service |
$2.6 billion |
— $32 million below 2011 levels | NPS activities will be able to continue without furloughs or reductions in full-time or seasonal employees. |
Department/agency |
2012 funding |
Comparison |
Highlights/details |
Labor Department |
$14.5 billion |
— $145 million above 2011 levels
— $251 million below President’s request |
|
Health and Human Services |
$69.7 billion |
— $700 million below 2011 levels
— $848 million below President’s request |
Includes $6.1 billion for the Centers for Disease Control, an increase of $38 million above last year’s levels, and $30.7 billion for the National Institutes of Health, an increase of $299 million above last year’s levels. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services receives $3.9 billion, an increase of $241 million over last year’s levels. |
Education Department |
$71.3 billion |
— $153 million below 2011 levels
— $9.3 billion below President’s request |
|
Social Security Administration |
$10.6 billion |
— $74 million above 2011 levels
— $865 million below President’s request |
Department/agency |
2012 funding |
Comparison |
Highlights/details |
House Operations |
$19.8 billion |
— $85.7 million below 2011 levels
— $108 million below President’s request |
|
Architect of the Capitol |
$565.7 million |
— $32.9 million below 2011 levels
— $138.5 million below President’s request |
|
Library of Congress |
$587.3 million |
— $41.3 million below 2011 levels
— $79.4 million below President’s request |
Includes funding for salaries, the Copyright Office and the Congressional Research Service |
Government Printing Office |
— $8.9 million below 2011 levels
— $22.3 million below President’s request |
||
Government Accountability Office |
$511.3 million |
— $35 million below 2011 levels
— $45.6 million below President’s request |
The House summary says the budget reduction will allow GAO to keep up its oversight work but will cut “lower priority activities,” such as hiring, travel and support contracts. |
Department/agency |
2012 funding |
Comparison |
Highlights/details |
Military construction |
$13.1 billion |
— $3.5 billion below 2011 levels. $1.7 billion below President’s request. | Fully funds the FY 2012 BRAC request |
Veterans Affairs Department |
$122.2 billion (in both discretionary and mandatory funding) |
— $58 billion in discretionary funding is $2.1 billion more than 2011 levels. |
Department/agency |
2012 funding |
Comparison |
Highlights/details |
State Department operations |
$13.2 billion |
— $2.6 billion below 2011 levels
$1.8 billion below President’s request |
|
USAID |
$1.3 billion |
— $258 million below 2011 levels
— $476 million below President’s request |
The bill halts new foreign service hiring and includes the closure of three overseas missions. It also freezes base pay adjustments for Foeign Service officers for the second year in a row. |
Source:
House Appropriations Committee
(NOTE: Numbers are approximate.)
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