appropriations bill

Examples of appropriations bill in the following topics:

• The Role of the Federal Budget

  • Appropriations subcommittees then approve individual appropriations bills to allocate funding to various federal programs.
  • If Congress fails to pass an annual budget, a series of appropriations bills must be passed as "stop gap" measures.
  • Congress may also combine all or some appropriations bills into an omnibus reconciliation bill.
  • In addition, the president may request and the Congress may pass supplemental appropriations bills or emergency supplemental appropriations bills.
  • If it cannot pass a Federal Budget, it must pass appropriation bills as a "stop gap. "

• Fiscal Policy -- Budget and Taxes

  • Finally, Congress considers individual appropriations bills spelling out exactly how the money in each category will be spent.
  • Each appropriations bill ultimately must be signed by the president in order to take effect.
  • This budget process often takes an entire session of Congress; the president presents his proposals in early February, and Congress often does not finish its work on appropriations bills until September (and sometimes even later).
  • Most debates about the income tax today revolve around three issues: the appropriate overall level of taxation; how graduated, or "progressive" the tax should be; and the extent to which the tax should be used to promote social objectives.

• Difficulty in Getting the Timing Right

  • With the complexity of modern economies and the lags inherent in macroeconomic policy instruments, a country must have the capacity to promptly identify any adverse trends in its economy and to apply the appropriate corrective measure.
  • It can take many months before Congress can pass a bill that would address current economic fluctuations.

• Disposable Income

  • Discretionary income is disposable income minus all payments that are necessary to meet current bills.
  • Discretionary income = Gross income - taxes - all compelled payments (bills)

• Other Measurements of the Money Supply

  • M4: M4- + treasury bills (or M3 + commercial paper + T-bills)

• Open Market Operations

  • By buying and selling US Treasury bills on the open market, the Federal Reserve hopes to change their yields, which will then affect the interest rates in the broader market.

• Why Governments Intervene In Markets

  • Former President signing a welfare reform bill.

• Current Issues in Health Care

  • In December of 2009, the Senate passing a bill called Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
  • The Affordable Care Act is a complex piece of legislation, but a number of bullets from the bill are highly useful to understand:

• Role of Individual in the Community

  • There are several perspectives about the most appropriate ways to achieve that balance.

• Role in Matching Savings and Investment Spending

  • More disposable income after fixed expenditures (such as mortgage, heating bill, basic goods purchases) have been made increases saving.