Continuing Appropriation Resolution for 2013 - Article Example

The legislation on the Continuing Appropriation Resolution for 2013 was first tabled in the House on September 10, 2012. The legislation was established by Rep. Harold Rogers and it was referred to the House of appropriation and budget committees. The continuing appropriation resolution 2013 is intended to grant a six-month expansion of suitable funding for unrestricted government functions, up to March 27, 2013. This is because according to the current law, suitable funding unrestricted spending is bound to expire after September 30, 2012, which is the end of the fiscal year.

 According to CBO, if the legislation is passed, it will grant $1.047 trillion in ordinary appropriated funding for government functions on a yearly basis. The funding is in line with the discretionary spending caps found in the Budget Control Act. The ordinary appropriated financing in the bill is $7.9 billion which is 0.6% above that of FY 2012. It includes the financing of overseas contingency functions /global war on terrorism (&99.9 billion) and disaster aid at $6.4 billion. Therefore, as stated by CBO, the total expenses in the bill are said to be below the FY 2012 total spending levels by $26.6 billion.

The requirement of the legislation to grant $1.047 trillion in ordinary appropriations is steady with the spending maximum enclosed in the BCA.  To arrive at this financing level, the legislation would appropriate amounts suitable for offering ordinary discretionary financing at the FY 2012 levels raised by 0.612% across the board. The appropriated finances would be obtainable until the prior enactment of valid appropriations legislation, that is, march 27, 2013. The BCA permitted modifications to discretionary spending perimeters for appropriations to grant disaster funding, lessen waste and exploitation in social security disability and healthcare financial support, and ensure the global war on terrorism.

One of the hurdles the bill had to overcome is the long-running disagreement among the parties over how much expenses should be allowed in FY 2013. The debt ceiling agreement for the previous year ascertained a discretionary expenses cap of $1.047 trillion but earlier in 2012 the House GOP surpassed a budget resolution, which restricted overall expenses at $ 1.028 trillion. Hence this led to disagreements between the two parties in the House regarding this bill.

The bill has as well overcome the hurdle of being considered to increase expense limits beyond the open limits in the bill, a focus to a point of order. This is because; if the bill increases the expenses then the capacity of all its expectations to be met within the given time would be impossible given that it is an extension of FY 2012.

The bill was also affected by the problem of the many constraints facing discretionary spending following the Budget Control Act and other actions of congress. For instance, inflation-adjusted financing understates the degree of reductions compared to the cost of sustaining present policies or strategies. Thus, the Continuing Appropriation Resolution 2013 legislation being one of the present plans had to be negatively affected.