The Appropriations Process

Generally, there are two different types of bills - bills that designate funding (appropriations) and bills that set policy (authorization). Below, we outline the funding (appropriations) process.

Where Funding Decisions for the NBCCEDP Happen
When the Decisions are Made

Where Funding Decisions for the NBCCEDP Happen

Congress is required to pass several individual appropriations bills to fund federal agencies, including the Labor, Health, Human Services, and Education bill (Labor HHS). Labor HHS designates funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which includes the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP).

Each chamber of Congress, the House and Senate, has an Appropriations Committee that is divided into various appropriations subcommittees, each responsible for a different funding bill. The Senate Appropriations Committee has 12 subcommittees, while the House Committee is divided into 10 subcommittees. Each committee and each subcommittee is led by a chair, representing the majority party, and a ranking member, representing the minority party.

In the end, every Member of Congress votes on the final funding bills. So, while the Appropriations Committee and the Labor HHS Subcommittee Members have very important roles in deciding how much money is given to which programs, every Member weighs in with an opinion. Thus, every constituent can make an impact with phone calls, letters, etc.

When the Decisions are Made

As a voter and a taxpayer concerned about breast cancer, you have a vested interest in keeping tabs on the political process and how your tax dollars are used. The following month-by-month breakdown of the funding process will help you keep track of Congressional action on NBCCEDP funding decisions.

February - The President's budget
The President sends his budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year to Congress on the first Monday in February. The proposal suggests amounts to be spent on each federal program, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and it's NBCCEDP program.

February/March - The budget process continues
The President's budget request goes to the Budget Committees in the House and Senate. These powerful committees make the first major decisions about how the federal budget pie gets sliced.

April - The budget is finalized
By April 15, the Budget Committees produce a "budget resolution," a blueprint for federal spending, which sets the funding level for each major budget category. At this point, health research and health programs are lumped into a broad category. No specific program dollar amounts are noted in the final budget resolution.

During this time, Budget and Appropriations Committees hold hearings with government officials and issue experts to prioritize funding.

May/June - Hashing out the money
First, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees decide how to divide the total amount of funding set by the budget resolution among their respective Appropriations subcommittees. Then each subcommittee meets with stakeholders and holds hearings to discuss how much to spend on specific programs. The CDC's NBCCEDP budget is decided by the Labor-HHS Appropriations subcommittee.

June/July - Mark-ups - The "Appropriations" Season
Each appropriations subcommittee marks up a bill to designate funding levels for programs. Since there is a limited amount of money, a good deal of political "horse trading" occurs with some programs receiving cuts so others can be beefed up. During this period and when the bill is on the floor to be voted on by the full chamber, amendments (often called riders) can be offered to funding bills to add to the bill or restrict certain funding.

August - Congressional Recess
Congress goes on vacation and back to the district to hear from constituents.

September - End of the Fiscal Year for the Federal Government
September 30th marks the end of the fiscal year and the deadline to pass funding bills. Since this work is rarely finished by the deadline, Congress can issue "continuing resolutions" to allow the government to continue operating at the previous year's funding levels while Congress attempts to wrap things up.