Congressional Oversight Manual

Frederick M. Kaiser
Specialist in American National Government

Walter J. Oleszek
Senior Specialist in American National Government

Todd B. Tatelman
Legislative Attorney

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) developed the Congressional Oversight Manual over 30 years ago, following a three-day December 1978 Workshop on Congressional Oversight and Investigations. The workshop was organized by a group of House and Senate committee aides from both parties and CRS at the request of the bipartisan House leadership. The Manual was produced by CRS with the assistance of a number of House committee staffers. In subsequent years, CRS has sponsored and conducted various oversight seminars for House and Senate staff and updated the Manual as circumstances warranted. The last revision occurred in 2007. Worth noting is the bipartisan recommendation of the House members of the 1993 Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress (Rept. No. 103-413, Vol. I):

[A]s a way to further enhance the oversight work of Congress, the Joint Committee would encourage the Congressional Research Service to conduct on a regular basis, as it has done in the past, oversight seminars for Members and congressional staff and to update on a regular basis its Congressional Oversight Manual. 

Over the years, CRS has assisted many members, committees, party leaders, and staff aides in the performance of the oversight function, that is, the review, monitoring, and supervision of the implementation of public policy. Understandably, given the size, reach, cost, and continuing growth of the modern executive establishment, Congress’s oversight role is even more significant—and more demanding—than when Woodrow Wilson wrote in his classic Congressional Government (1885): “Quite as important as lawmaking is vigilant oversight of administration.” Today’s lawmakers and congressional aides, as well as commentators and scholars, recognize that Congress’s work, ideally, should not end when it passes legislation. Oversight is an integral way to make sure that the laws work and are being administered in an effective, efficient, and economical manner. In light of this destination, oversight can be viewed as one of Congress’s principal responsibilities as it grapples with the complexities of the 21st century.


Date of Report: June 10, 2011
Number of Pages: 168
Order Number: RL30240
Price: $29.95

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Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): FY2012 Appropriations

Maggie McCarty, Coordinator
Specialist in Housing Policy

Libby Perl
Specialist in Housing Policy

Eugene Boyd
Analyst in Federalism and Economic Development Policy

Katie Jones
Analyst in Housing Policy

Bruce E. Foote
Analyst in Housing Policy

The President’s FY2012 budget was released on February 14, 2011. It included a request for nearly $47.8 billion in gross new appropriations for HUD in FY2012. After accounting for rescissions of prior-year unobligated balances and offsets available from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage insurance programs, the President’s request for net new budget authority for HUD in FY2012 totals just over $41.7 billion.

The President’s budget requests funding for several new initiatives that were included in prior years’ budget requests. These include $200 million for the Transforming Rental Assistance initiative to convert some units of public housing and Section 8 project-based rental assistance to a new form of rental assistance, and funding for a Choice Neighborhoods program to replace the HOPE VI public housing program. The President’s budget lists homelessness assistance as a top priority and includes increased funding for homeless assistance grants, in addition to funding for new housing plus services demonstrations.

The President’s budget, which was released prior to enactment of a final FY2011 appropriations law, also includes some funding decreases relative to FY2010. These include a 17% reduction in funding for the public housing operating fund (compared to FY2010 and funding reductions for the two largest block grant programs in HUD’s budget, the Community Development Block Grant program (a 7.5% reduction compared to FY2010) and the HOME Investment Partnerships block grant (a 10% reduction compared to FY2010). Funding for the Section 811 Housing for Persons with Disabilities and Section 202 Housing for Persons who are Elderly accounts would also be reduced relative to FY2010 under the President’s budget request. However, in the case of all of these programs except the operating fund, the President’s requested amount is higher than what was provided in the FY2011 appropriations law.

The largest accounts in HUD’s budget, the Section 8 Tenant-Based Rental Assistance account and the Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance account, would receive the largest funding increases under the President’s budget request, relative to both FY2010 and FY2011.

In total, the President’s funding request for HUD would result in a nearly $2.5 billion increase in gross new appropriations in FY2012 relative to FY2011. However, because the President’s budget estimates a substantial increase (nearly $2 billion) in the amount of offsetting receipts available from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) in FY2012 relative to FY2011, the net budget authority requested in the President’s budget would represent an increase of only about $600 million in FY2012 relative to FY2011.


Date of Report: June 13, 2011
Number of Pages: 20
Order Number: R41700
Price: $29.95

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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, the judiciary, the District of Columbia, and 26 independent agencies. Among the independent agencies funded by the bill are the Small Business Administration, the Office of Personnel Management, and the United States Postal Service.

The FSGG FY2010 appropriations were provided through P.L. 111-117, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010. P.L. 111-117 provided $46.265 billion for FSGG agencies in FY2010. In addition, P.L. 111-80 provided an additional $169 million for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission—which is under the jurisdiction of the FSGG Subcommittee in the Senate but not in the House—for a total of $46.434 billion for FSGG agencies in FY2010.

On February 1, 2010, President Obama issued his FY2011 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) budget request for $48.219 billion, an increase of $1.785 billion over FY2010 appropriations. On July 29, 2010, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved S. 3677, which would provide FSGG agencies with $48.296 billion for FY2011, an increase of $1.861 billion above FY2010 appropriations. On February 19, 2011, the House passed H.R. 1, which would provide FSGG agencies with $43.298 billion for FY2011, $3.136 billion below FY2010 enacted appropriations.

On April 15, 2011, President Obama signed H.R. 1473, the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011, into law (P.L. 112-10). The bill provides FSGG agencies with $44.745 billion for FY2011, a decrease of $1.69 billion from FY2010 enacted levels and $3.47 billion less that the President’s FY2011 request. FY2011 enacted figures may be revised when further details become available.


Date of Report: June 14, 2011
Number of Pages: 79
Order Number: R41340
Price: $29.95

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Financial Services and General Government Appropriations: FY2012 Budget Request Fact Sheet

Garrett Hatch
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).

On February 14, 2011, President Obama issued his FY2012 budget request. The request included a total of $49.68 billion for agencies funded through the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill, an increase of $3.24 billion over FY2010 enacted appropriations and $4.93 billion over FY2011 enacted levels. For each title of the regular FSGG appropriations bill, Table 1 lists the enacted amounts for FY2010, the President’s FY2011 request, enacted amounts for FY2011, and the President’s FY2012 request. FY2011 enacted amounts may be revised as additional information becomes available.


Date of Report: June 16, 2011
Number of Pages: 8
Order Number: R41655
Price: $19.95

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Legislative Branch Revolving Funds

Ida A. Brudnick
Analyst on the Congress

Jacob R. Straus
Analyst on the Congress

Legislative branch revolving funds support the “business-type activities” of the House, Senate, and legislative branch agencies. Revolving funds must be established statutorily. The legislative branch currently has 27 revolving funds, including eight funds for the House of Representatives, nine for the Senate, five for the Architect of the Capitol, four for the Library of Congress, and one for the Government Printing Office. At of the close of FY2010, the funds ranged in size from $10,000 for the Senate Computer Center Revolving Fund to $256.8 million for the Government Printing Office revolving fund. In contrast, the legislative branch appropriation for FY2011 was equal to $4.54 billion.

This report traces the establishment, use, and recent development of these funds. Where available, the current status of funds is provided, using standard federal government budget object classifications.

This report will be updated annually following the publication of the Statement of Disbursements of the House and the Report of the Secretary of the Senate for the period ending September 30 of each fiscal year.


Date of Report: June 14, 2011
Number of Pages: 35
Order Number: R40939
Price: $29.95

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