You found the right bill. It's 200 pages. Now what? This is the second part of our series on how to read appropriations bills. 1. Where to start? 2. Structure 3. Account Text 4. General and Administrative Provisions 5. Reports and Explanatory Statements I'll be honest,
Congress passed a 567-page spending bill. You need to find one thing. Where do you even start? This is the first part in our series: How to Read an Appropriations Act 1. Where to start? 2. Structure 3. Account Text 4. General and Administrative Provisions 5. Reports and Explanatory Statements
Obligations are promises. Outlays are checks. This is the fourth and final part in our four-part series on the SF-133. 1. What is an SF-133? 2. How to Read an SF-133, Part I: Budgetary Resources (1XXX Lines) 3. How to Read an SF-133, Part II: Status of Budgetary Resources (2XXX
Congress provided $100 million. What did the agency do with it? This is the third part in our four-part series on the SF-133. 1. What is an SF-133? 2. How to Read an SF-133, Part I: Budgetary Resources (1XXX Lines) 3. How to Read an SF-133, Part II: Status of
Before you can track what was spent, you need to know what was available. This is the second part in our four-part series on the SF-133. 1. What is an SF-133? 2. How to Read an SF-133, Part I: Budgetary Resources (1XXX Lines) 3. How to Read an SF-133, Part
The apportionment told the agency what it could spend. The SF-133 tells you what actually happened. This is the first part in our four-part series on the SF-133. 1. What is an SF-133? 2. How to Read an SF-133, Part I: Budgetary Resources (1XXX Lines) 3. How to Read an
The difference between an accounting note and a criminal referral often comes down to a single letter. In Part II, we look at why 'A' footnotes carry the weight of the law—and why a $1 mistake can trigger a federal investigation. This is the final part in
You found an apportionment. Now what? This is the second part in our three-part series on apportionments. 1. What is an apportionment? 2. How to Read an Apportionment, Part I: Structure and Time-Based Controls 3. How to Read an Apportionment, Part II: Program Controls and Legal Weight In our first
Congress appropriated $198 million. But the agency can only spend $55 million this quarter. What happened to the rest? This is the first part in our three-part series on apportionments. 1. What is an apportionment? 2. How to Read an Apportionment, Part I: Structure and Time-Based Controls 3. How to
If you've ever ordered food at a nice restaurant, you already understand appropriations, obligations, and outlays. Every federal budget document uses the same three terms. Every spending headline throws them around. And almost everyone—including people who should know better—gets them confused. Fortunately, the concepts are pretty
Every dollar the federal government spends is tracked using a unique identifier that most people have never heard of. Here's Section 249 from the FY 2026 Senate Transportation-HUD appropriations bill: Sec. 249. (a) Any unobligated balances from amounts made available under the heading, "Community Development Fund"
Understanding federal spending requires tracking three distinct processes that most people assume are the same thing.
Legal Framework
Federal budget execution isn't just bureaucratic process—it's constitutional law in action.
Budget Fundamentals
This guide deconstructs the Continuing Resolution (HR 5371) to reveal how its "anomalies" establish targeted policy choices and funding levels beyond simple maintenance. On November 12, 2025, Congress passed and the President signed HR 5371 (enacted as Public Law 119-37) — ending the Federal government's longest lapse
Budget Fundamentals
Last week, you learned what an appropriation is. This week: how they actually work in practice. Last week, we covered the three elements of every appropriation (time, purpose, amount), and how Congress organizes the 12 annual appropriations bills. But knowing what an appropriation IS doesn't tell you how
Budget Fundamentals
Today, the federal government hit a milestone - the longest lapse in appropriations in U.S. history. Here's what's actually happening in a shutdown—and what isn't. The federal government is experiencing a lapse in appropriations—commonly called a "government shutdown." But
Budget Fundamentals
Before tracking budget execution or making sense of a government shutdown, you need to understand what an appropriation actually is—and what it isn't. Federal budget tracking starts with appropriations. But what exactly IS an appropriation? Most people think it's simple: Congress passes a bill, money