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Summary

On September 30, 2008, President George W. Bush signed H.R. 2638, the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009, into law as P.L. 110-329 (122 Stat. 3574-3716). The act included three of the 12 regular appropriations acts for FY2009, continuing appropriations for the remaining nine regular appropriations acts for that fiscal year (through March 6, 2009), and supplemental appropriations for disaster relief and recovery. With the completion of action on H.R. 2638, the 110th Congress brought its consideration of the regular appropriations acts for FY2009 to a close. Early in the next session, however, the 111th Congress will have to address the issue of funding the nine regular appropriations acts for the remainder of the fiscal year. According to the Congressional Budget Office, enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2009 brought total discretionary budget authority for the fiscal year to $1,089.6 billion, including $993.7 billion in non-emergency spending and $95.9 billion in emergency spending. These amounts reflect $65.9 billion in emergency spending in a FY2009 "bridge fund" for war activities, provided in P.L. 110-252, and $2.2 billion in non-emergency advance appropriations for Bioshield, provided and adjusted in earlier laws. On an annualized basis, continuing appropriations for FY2009 provided in the act amounted to $420.0 billion, including $390.9 billion in non-emergency spending and $29.0 billion in emergency spending. (Continuing appropriations were provided only through March 6, 2009, so the annualized amounts may differ from the final amounts for the fiscal year depending on subsequent funding actions.) Total budget authority for the three regular appropriations acts included in the act amounted to $669.6 billion, including $602.8 billion in non-emergency spending and $66.9 billion in emergency spending (mostly from the "bridge fund" provided in P.L. 110-252). Continued economic turmoil prompted Congress and the President to enact an economic stimulus measure early in the 2008 session and other legislation aimed at stabilizing the economy as the session progressed. Additional action on appropriations for FY2009 could occur in the 110th Congress if it convenes after the November 4 election in a lame-duck session to consider a second economic stimulus measure addressing such matters as infrastructure projects, energy development, unemployment compensation, job training, and Medicaid and food stamps assistance. The report will be updated as developments warrant.

Related Legislation:
• H.R.2638

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