Return to Article: Congress spends billions on unauthorized programs
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7919
This article is ridiculous! What is it's point? There is nothing in this article other than the need to fill space on a page! Congress appropriates and authorizes and does not spend! The appropriations committee may recommend giving programs obligation capability but that obligation has to have an authorization before the executive may obligate the government to pay for anything. If the executive agency obligates without authorization they are performing an illegal act and if the agency obligates wthout an appropriation they are performing an illegal acty. You have to have both the appropriation and authorization to obligate the government. What is the point of this article?
Even if you have the appropriation and authorization the executive agency may refuse to spend the money. That got Nixion in trouble and the courts ruled that the executive had to spend the money that was authorized and appropriated. The executive does not have the authority to refuse to spend what Congress has authorized and appropriated!
Congress often has a different timing for authorization and appropriation so that at times it may appear that the two are not together.
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7887
I wish this article had a little flesh on its bones. Are some or all of the funded programs whose authorizations expired included simply because Congress did not reauthorize them AS THEY SHOULD HAVE prior to authorizing the funding, such as "veterans medical care?" If the federal government is no longer supposed to be funding veterans health care, then this country has problems far bigger than fiscal or procedural ones.
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7884
Do you know what would happen to a government employee that misappropriated funds, whether on purpose or not? They would be fired! Why should our elected officials be any different? They are employed by the taxpayer and should be held to the same standards.
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