Appropriations

After a program is authorized, the focus then turns to how much money will actually be spent on the program, as opposed to how much is authorized to be spent. The decisions about actual spending are contained in appropriations bills which are written by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. The committees may not appropriate more than the amount authorized, but they can appropriate less—all the way down to zero. The line item veto is a particularly controversial measure in the appropriations process. On March 29, 1996 President Clinton signed into law HR 2136 (PL 104-121), the Contract with America Advancement Act of 1996. This bill gives the President limited line-item veto authority and represents a significant shift in power from Congress to the President. The law permits the President to strike any dollar amount mentioned in an appropriations bill, any new entitlement spending or any tax benefit targeted to a group of 100 or fewer people. However, the President cannot touch any existing entitlements. Congress needs a two-thirds vote to reject the cuts.

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