Quote Originally Posted by kygorski View Post
If its there, its GOT to be spent, I'll bet there are rules someplace that place a penalty on un used or returned[no such animal]funds.If its there it will get stolen, or misappropreated. Yeah they spend it stupidly. My post about paying brazilian farmers points that out, how many more cases are like that? This crap about adding amendments to bills is more BS. And PORK, what is it?A guy in new mexico thinks a dirt bike trail is essential, and a boat ramp in Ky is pork.Ones man treasure is you know what follows.
It's a matter of whether its a multi-year appropriate or annual appropriation. And it matters if its a mandatory or a desrectionary program that has the authorization of congress, and how it has been set up to be funded.

Even though a program is authorized by law, it doesn't guarantee it will be funded, or how much will be funded in a fiscal years appropriations act.

Multi-year appropriations mean I don't have to spend it all in one year or lose it. Annual appropriations do mean I either have to spend it or give it back, where the funds go back into the general fund, or they are de-obligated, which means disbursement from the Treasury, no additional Treasury securities issued, and a slightly lower deficit
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Penalty? No, not as such. If Congress and the President agree and authorize money for a specific beneficial purpose, than they expect the funds to get spent to achieve that goodness. FYI , this link shows what can happen when money is set a side to fund something and the agency involved doesn't get it spent to achieve a benefit.

http://fcw.com/articles/2012/06/07/c...ral-funds.aspx


OMG-did you catch me sober or what :-)