appropriations bill

(noun)

A legislative motion that authorizes the government to spend money.

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.
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