House and Senate Appropriations Committees are preparing to assemble the 12 annual comprehensive funding bills that provide money for federal agencies to spend on programs.
But many agencies have neglected to report how they plan to spend taxpayer dollars during the remainder of the current fiscal year, hampering lawmakers’ ability to draft a fiscal year 2026 appropriations package.
Lawmakers never passed a fiscal year 2025 budget, instead passing three consecutive Continuing Resolutions (CRs) to keep government funding on cruise control until the end of the current fiscal year, Sept. 30.
The most recent CR included a requirement that federal agencies outline by April 29 how and where they will allocate funding over the next six months.
But as of May 27, Appropriations Committees still haven’t received all agency reports, and many of those submitted are “inconsistent and inadequate,” according to Democrats’ written complaint against Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought.
“Four weeks have now come and gone, and while the Committees began receiving some spending plans from departments and agencies consistent with the 45-day requirement, many agencies’ plans still have yet to be submitted or blatantly omit basic funding details at your agency’s direction,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., wrote.
They referenced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ spending plan, which only included general, high-level funding amounts while placing an asterisk next to hundreds of smaller programs and activities.
Without knowing how much money federal agencies are spending and where, appropriators are unable to accurately calculate how much money they should allocate for the next 12 months.
“These spending plans are essential to understand how the executive branch is spending taxpayer dollars appropriated by Congress in fiscal year 2025, and they directly inform the legislative responsibilities of the Committees to consider fiscal year 2026 appropriations legislation, a process that is already underway,” Democrats wrote.
President Donald Trump has already signaled what he wants the fiscal year 2026 appropriations package to look like, recommending appropriators cut federal spending on programs related to climate change and diversity programs, among other things.
