Status of Budget Authority
OGC-86-7: Published: Mar 4, 1986. Publicly Released: Mar 4, 1986.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
Contact:
As required by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act, GAO advised Congress of the status of budget authority which the President is withholding contrary to the act.
GAO found that, pursuant to the act, the President reported a deferral of funds appropriated to the Department of Energy (DOE) for the development, operation, and maintenance of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. However, Congress passed supplemental appropriation legislation that expressly disapproved the deferral and directed that the funds be made available for obligation. Under the act, funds proposed for deferral must be made available for obligation if either house of Congress passes an impoundment resolution disapproving the deferral. GAO believes that the current withholding of funds is in violation of both the act and the supplemental appropriation and asked DOE to advise it when the funds would be released. DOE stated that it needed to examine certain legal issues before releasing the funds. The act authorizes the Comptroller General to institute litigation that requires the release of budget authority and to file an explanation with Congress on the action contemplated; however, litigation may not begin until the expiration of 25 calendar days of continuous congressional session after the date on which the explanation was filed. Because of an interruption in the congressional session, GAO may not take litigative action until April 11, 1986.
Dec 15, 2020
The Nation's Fiscal Health:
Information on the Spending and Revenue Implications of Potential Debt TargetsGAO-21-211: Published: Dec 15, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 15, 2020.
Oct 7, 2020
-
The Nation's Fiscal Health:
A Long-Term Plan Is Needed for Fiscal SustainabilityGAO-21-161T: Published: Oct 7, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 7, 2020.
Sep 23, 2020
-
The Nation's Fiscal Health:
Effective Use of Fiscal Rules and TargetsGAO-20-561: Published: Sep 23, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 23, 2020.
Jan 23, 2020
-
Federal Trust Funds and Other Dedicated Funds:
Fiscal Sustainability Is a Growing Concern for Some Key FundsGAO-20-156: Published: Jan 16, 2020. Publicly Released: Jan 23, 2020.
Dec 19, 2019
-
State and Local Governments' Fiscal Outlook:
2019 UpdateGAO-20-269SP: Published: Dec 19, 2019. Publicly Released: Dec 19, 2019.
Nov 14, 2019
-
Certificated Expenditures:
Executive Office of the President FY 2018 Certificated Expenditures Were Spent for Authorized PurposesGAO-20-139R: Published: Nov 14, 2019. Publicly Released: Nov 14, 2019.
Oct 16, 2019
-
Civilian Personnel:
Additional Guidance and Consistent Data Reporting Could Help Improve the Marine Corps' Budget ManagementGAO-20-148: Published: Oct 16, 2019. Publicly Released: Oct 16, 2019.
Jun 26, 2019
-
The Nation's Fiscal Health:
Actions Needed to Achieve Long-Term Fiscal SustainabilityGAO-19-611T: Published: Jun 26, 2019. Publicly Released: Jun 26, 2019.
Apr 10, 2019
-
The Nation's Fiscal Health:
Action Is Needed to Address the Federal Government's Fiscal FutureGAO-19-314SP: Published: Apr 10, 2019. Publicly Released: Apr 10, 2019.
Mar 27, 2019
-
Fiscal Exposures:
Federal Insurance and Other Activities That Transfer Risk or Losses to the GovernmentGAO-19-353: Published: Mar 27, 2019. Publicly Released: Mar 27, 2019.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here
Explore our Key Issues on Budget and Spending
Explore our other Key Issues here
