Federal spending allocated outside of the regular appropriations process, often due to an emergency.
Never Enough
Congress’s appropriations cycle follows a predictable schedule. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30, and twelve appropriations bills fund federal spending annually. In recent years, Congress has failed to pass these bills individually before the next fiscal year begins.
Congress can also pass spending measures outside this process, should the need arise. Supplemental appropriations are emergency spending bills considered and adopted outside of the regular appropriations cycle. Such funds are allocated on an as-needed basis for urgent matters, and because of that, they often are less partisan and may be exempt from certain budget control mechanisms.
A Matter of Time
Since 2000, supplemental appropriations have been utilized to fund wars and respond to terrorist attacks, hurricane relief efforts, and disease outbreaks. From 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina to COVID-19, supplemental appropriations have been a key tool that Congress has used to meet national and global challenges. Congress appropriated $26 billion after the 2001 terror attacks and more than $800 billion to support the recovery from the Great Recession. Congress passed more than $5.4 trillion in supplemental appropriations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Defying Gravity
The US-Israeli war against Iran has triggered talks of a supplemental appropriations package this spring. The war’s first week alone was estimated to have cost more than $10 billion. The Trump administration is reportedly preparing a $98 billion supplemental appropriations request to replenish munitions stockpiles and fund additional military efforts in the region.
At the same time, long simmering conversations around supplemental appropriations for more than $30 billion in wildfire aid to California and $15 billion in tariff relief for farmers have been given new life. The Trump administration and Congressional Republicans are aiming to use the partisan budget reconciliation process to pass supplemental funding. The first, which the Senate advanced last week, would forward fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) through the end of President Trump’s term. The second bill is still undefined, but it may include the Administration’s defense package, tariff relief for farmers, and other Republican priorities.
Lawmakers may push to attach other provisions to one or both packages. This could place intense political pressure on Republicans in vulnerable seats, who may not want to vote for controversial bills just months before Election Day in a year where the GOP is already facing headwinds.
About Wonkology
What is a policy rider? How long is a legislative day? Political jargon can be headache-inducing. But your ability to understand how Washington works could significantly impact your business. Wonkology is an update from the Thompson Coburn Lobbying & Policy group. In each edition, we will decode Washington lingo by giving you a straightforward definition of a political term that is in the news.
