Financial Services and General Government (FSGG): FY2011 Appropriations

Garrett Hatch, Coordinator
Analyst in American National Government

The Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill includes funding for the Department of the Treasury, the Executive Office of the President (EOP), the judiciary, the District of Columbia, and 26 independent agencies. Among the independent agencies funded by the bill are the General Services Administration (GSA), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the United States Postal Service (USPS).

The FSGG FY2010 appropriations are being provided through a consolidated budget bill (H.R. 3288) that was signed into law (P.L. 111-117) by President Obama on December 16, 2009. Prior to the enactment of the consolidated bill, two continuing resolutions had provided funding for FSGG programs and activities between October 1, 2009, and December 18, 2009, generally at FY2009 rates. P.L. 111-117, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010, provides $46.265 billion for FSGG agencies in FY2010. In addition, P.L. 111-80 provides an additional $169 million for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)—which is under the jurisdiction of the FSGG Subcommittee in the Senate but not in the House—for a total of $46.435 billion for FSGG agencies and programs in FY2010.

On February 1, 2010, President Obama issued his FY2011 budget request, which included $48.450 billion, an increase of just over $2 billion from FY2010 appropriations. Both the House and the Senate FSGG appropriations subcommittees have held hearings, but neither have introduced a FY2011 bill.

The wide scope of FSGG appropriations—which provide funding for two of the three branches of the federal government, a city government, and 26 independent agencies with a range of functions—encompasses a number of potentially controversial issues, some of which are identified below.

• Department of the Treasury. Are the funding and strategy for taxpayer services, enforcement, and the business systems modernization program under the proposed budget for the IRS likely to result in a significant improvement in taxpayer compliance in the next year or two?

• Executive Office of the President. Should Congress approve the President's requests for (1) an increased appropriation for the combined National Security Council and Homeland Security Council to fund the expanded mission of both councils, and (2) $50 million for a new information technology related account to be appropriated to the EOP and administered by OMB?

• The Judiciary. What level of funding should Congress provide for judicial security enhancements and other administrative issues, such as hiring of additional staff to meet the demands of rising workloads, including increases in bankruptcy filings and criminal cases?

• United States Postal Service. In light of USPS's financial challenges, should Congress consider removing the six-day delivery requirement that has appeared in annual appropriations laws? .


Date of Report: July 26, 2010
Number of Pages: 50
Order Number: R41340
Price: $29.95


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