GAA Urges Congress to Expand Foreign Assistance

The Global AIDS Alliance plays an active role in monitoring the annual US budget and appropriations process in order to secure adequate funding for global HIV/AIDS and related development issues. Most recently, GAA submitted letters to both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees urging policymakers to prioritize the needs of vulnerable populations worldwide.  In addition to urging Congress to support and fully fund, at a minimum, President Bush's $39.5 billion spending request for international affairs, GAA has requested specific funding allocations to fight global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria and strengthen health systems, support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, protect orphans and vulnerable children, scale up basic education, support international family planning and reproductive health, reduce and respond to violence against women, and expand microenterprise programs.

Read GAA's March 2008 letter to the House Appropriations Committee
Read GAA's March 2008 letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee 

Following is a brief overview of how the US budget and appropriations process works: 

Step 1: President's Budget Request 

The President is required to submit an annual budget to Congress for the next fiscal year in the first week of February. The President's request is not binding, but it sets the tone for the budget process by outlining the Administration's priorities for the federal government. The President's budget request is the result of many months of meetings with each Cabinet Secretary and with the Office of Management and Budget to discuss the Administration's goals and objectives for the coming year.

Step 2: Congressional Budget Resolutions 

The Congressional House and Senate Budget Committees hold hearings on the President's budget request to obtain general advice and direction. The goal is to develop a Congressional Budget Resolution that Congress can approve by April 15; however, a Budget Resolution is not required by law and in many years, particularly when the House and Senate are controlled by different political parties, there is no Budget Resolution. Budget Resolutions reflect the sense and priorities of Congress and establish a budget structure and spending goals. Because they are not laws, Budget Resolutions cannot be filibustered in the Senate and do not need to be signed by the President. The Budget Resolution specifies how much Congress is allowed to spend on different government functions and may include a "reconciliation directive" instructing the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to change existing laws in order to reduce spending, increase revenue, or achieve tax targets.

Step 3: Congressional Appropriations Process

Congress decides how to allocate the federal budget through the appropriations process. This is done under the guidance of the Congressional Budget Resolution, if one has passed. There are 12 appropriations sub-committees within both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees; each of which is responsible for funding specific government programs and departments within their jurisdiction. The appropriations subcommittees hold hearings on the government programs they fund, and Cabinet Secretaries and other political appointees are invited to testify on the President's proposed budget for their programs. On occasion, outside experts are also invited to provide comments. Many non-governmental organizations take the opportunity to submit their "wish lists" for appropriations within their areas of work and expertise. There are opportunities for amendments during both the subcommittee and full Appropriations Committee mark-up of each appropriations bill; and again on the House and Senate floor.

Each appropriations bill must be signed by the President before the start of the new fiscal year on October 1.  Failure to do so requires a "continuing resolution" in order to provide ongoing funding for the operation of the federal government. Such a continuing resolution is usually based on funding levels in the appropriations bills from the previous fiscal year. Without a continuing resolution, most government functions are forced to shut down.

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