On Thursday, September 13, the House is scheduled to consider H.J.Res. 117, the Continuing Appropriations Resolution for 2013. The legislation was introduced on September 10, 2012, by Rep. Harold Rogers, and referred to the House Appropriations and Budget Committees. The continuing resolution (CR) is scheduled to be considered under a rule.

H.J.Res. 117 would provide a six-month extension of appropriated funding for discretionary government operations, through March 27, 2013. Under current law, appropriated funding for discretionary spending is set to expire after September 30, 2012, the end of the fiscal year. According to CBO, H.J.Res. 117 would provide $1.047 trillion in regular appropriated funding for government operations on an annualized basis.  The funding in the CR is consistent with discretionary spending caps contained in the Budget Control Act (BCA, S. 365). Regular appropriated funding in the bill is $7.9 billion or 0.6 percent higher than FY 2012. Including funding for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism ($99.9 billion) and disaster relief ($6.4 billion), total spending in the bill is $26.6 billion below total FY 2012 spending levels, according to CBO.

Continuing Appropriations: H.J.Res. 117 would provide $1.047 trillion in regular appropriations for discretionary government operations through March 27, 2013, consistent with spending ceilings contained in the BCA. To reach this funding level, the bill would appropriate amounts necessary to provide regular discretionary funding at the FY 2012 levels, increased by 0.612 percent across-the-board. According to CBO, regular appropriations in the bill are $7.9 billion above FY 2012. Appropriated funds would be available until the earlier of enactment of an applicable appropriations bill or March 27, 2013.

Overseas Contingency Operations Funding: The bill would provide $99.9 billion in appropriations for “Overseas Contingency Operations Operations/Global War on Terrorism” (OCO) to fund operations related to the global war on terrorism, including ongoing activities in Afghanistan. OCO funding would not be designated as regular appropriations under adjustment provisions of the BCA (section 251(b)(2)(A)).

Disaster Relief Funding: H.J.Res. 117 would provide $6.4 billion in disaster relief funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund (DRF)—the same amount as last year. Funding under the bill is in keeping with emergency disaster funding limits established by the Budget Control Act (S. 365). Disaster funding would not be designated as regular appropriations under adjustment provisions of the BCA (section 251(b)(2)(D)). Under the BCA, adjustments to discretionary spending limits are provided for disaster funding as well as funding to reduce waste and abuse in Social Security disability and health care funding, and appropriations for the global war on terrorism.  

Program Integrity: H.J.Res. 117 would provide $483 million to reduce waste and abuse by continuing Social Security reviews of disability and health care funding. Disability review funding would not be designated as regular appropriations under adjustment provisions of the BCA (section 251(b)(2)(B).

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF): The CR would provide an extension of budget authority for the TANF block grant program, through March 27, 2013.

General Items:While almost all policy and funding provisions included in currently enacted legislation will carry forward in the CR, some changes to current law are included to prevent detrimental changes to government programs. According to the Appropriations Committee, these changes include:

• A provision allowing DOD to acquire supplies in other countries for use in Afghanistan.
• A provision allowing additional funding for nuclear weapons modernization efforts, to ensure the safety, security, and reliability of the nation’s nuclear stockpile.
• A provision allowing flexibility for the Customs and Border Protection to maintain current staffing levels.
• A provision allowing additional funding and flexibility to sustain Homeland Security cybersecurity efforts.
• A provision allowing additional funding for the Interior Department and the Forest Service for wildfire suppression efforts.
• A provision allowing additional funding for the Veterans Administration to meet an increase in the disability claims workload.
• A provision extending the current pay freeze for federal employees, which includes Members of Congress and Senators.
• A provision allowing the launch schedule of new weather satellites to move forward, ensuring the continuation of critical weather information, especially in the event of weather-related natural disasters.
• A provision requiring every federal agency to provide spending plans to Congress to ensure transparency and the proper use of taxpayer dollars.

On August 1, 2011, the House approved S. 365, the Budget Control Act, by a vote of 269-161 and the legislation was signed by the president the following day. Among a number of other provisions, the bill established discretionary spending limits for fiscal years 2012 through 2021. The bill also prohibited the House and Senate from considering legislation that would increase spending beyond the discretionary limits in the bill, subject to a point of order. According to CBO, these discretionary spending limits will reduce discretionary outlays relative to CBO’s current baseline by $756 billion over ten years.  Under the spending caps outlined in the Budget Control Act, regular discretionary spending in FY 2013 may not exceed $1.047 trillion, of which security spending may not exceed $686 billion. In addition, the BCA allowed adjustments to discretionary spending limits for appropriations to provide disaster funding, reduce waste and abuse in Social Security disability and health care funding, and to carry out the global war on terrorism. H.J.Res. 117 would provide temporary discretionary government funding at the capped level set by the Budget Control Act.

According to CBO, H.J.Res. 117 would provide $1.047 trillion in regular discretionary funding for government operations through March 27, 2013, on an annualized basis.