I still dont know what the #### “omnibus” means :(
And why does it say a 1.3 trillion dollar budget when we spend like 4 trillion a year?
Omnibus is the vehicle that the Republicans use to throw their base under.
I believe they have identified it by its deficit. I think that’s a 10 year deficit, so that has to be above the normal deficit or none of this makes any sense.
Which maybe it doesn’t. :>)
An Omnibus spending bill is not a budget. Since we have a financial emergency the President used this to get discretionary control over it:
Here's what I found in researching exactly what you're asking.
First, there are two different parts to the Federal Budget: Mandatory Spending and Discretionary Spending. Mandatory spending is for programs such as Medicare and Social Security. These are regulated by law and are over and above the appropriations process. Discretionary spending is supposed to be from 12 appropriations bills passed by Congress for things such as the Military, grants, agriculture, etc. The Omnibus Bill signed recently is for those programs- the discretionary part of the budget.
Every year, Congress must pass bills that appropriate money for all discretionary government spending. Generally, one bill is passed for each sub-committee of the twelve subcommittees in the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations and the matching 12 subcommittees in the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations. When Congress does not or cannot produce separate bills in a timely fashion, it will roll many of the separate appropriations bills into one omnibus spending bill.
The deadline for passing the appropriations could be the start of the next fiscal year, October 1, or it could be some other deadline when appropriations would otherwise run out (such as a deadline set by a continuing resolution).
Omnibus bills can also be used to "veto-proof" items, by including measures that the president is expected to veto if they were submitted for signature on their own, but who is willing or pressured into signing an omnibus bill that includes those measures.
The spending laid out by an Omnibus Spending Bill represents a maximum amount that Congress can spend, not a spending goal for which it should aim.
The current bill completely ignored many of the proposals found in the President’s FY 2019 budget request that would have reduced domestic spending. Programs eliminated by the Administration’s proposal that continue to receive funding or see increases under this bill include the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, various regional development authorities, the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, among others. Does the President have “discretionary” power over the funds in the Omnibus Bill? Yes
Presidents can use their INFLUENCE over any items that have been appropriated, depending on the agencies involved. Obama used his to influence spending in agencies that were advancing his agenda. In short, there is little information to tell us how appropriated money is actually spent. But there are still some rules. So, while it is up to Congress to appropriate funds, it is also true that the President and the executive branch enjoy considerable discretion as to how those funds are spent.
Funds cannot be transferred from one account to another. Some agencies, such as the Department of Defense, have limited authority to transfer a percentage of funds among their accounts. Such authority usually comes with the requirement that the agency notify the appropriate committees in Congress when they do so.
Moving money WITHIN an account is not as “observable” because the actual total of money remains the same. Funds can also be “deferred” or spent at another time.
Congress can “rescind” funds by legislative action as well (which means that they actually CAN withhold monies from Sanctuary cities).
The Office of Management and Budget has control over apportioning the funds to the specific agencies. There are a lot of gray areas that Presidents and even Congress can use to influence spending, but there is also a lot of paperwork required. These decisions are an omnipresent component of agency management across presidential administrations. What managers do with the spending discretion inherent in the executive function is structured by their understanding of the law, their beliefs about the continuing wishes of committees, and their views about what is best for their organization and policy. The bulk of what happens with spending is not reviewed by congressional committees or staffs. Voluminous reporting requirements and the annual appropriations process provide committees regular opportunities to learn about agency choices if they choose to but managing the details of spending is difficult.