Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

  • Policy Issues
    • Countries
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Non-Proliferation
    • Nuclear Security
    • Biological & Chemical Weapons
    • Defense Spending
    • Missile Defense
    • No First Use
  • Nukes of Hazard
    • Podcast
    • Blog
    • Videos
  • Join Us
  • Press
  • About
    • Staff
    • Boards & Experts
    • Jobs & Internships
    • Financials and Annual Reports
    • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Search
You are here: Home / Nukes of Hazard blog / Congress is abusing its ‘power of the purse’

April 10, 2015

Congress is abusing its ‘power of the purse’

birkin-bag

Article 1 section 9, clause 7 of the U.S. Constitution, the appropriations clause, gives Congress final authority on the appropriation of public funds – the power of the purse. But after the Republican-controlled House and Senate passed budget resolutions with massive off-budget increases for defense, it’s clear Congress is under the illusion that it’s carrying a Birkin bag with a black Amex inside a Prada wallet.

In late March, the House of Representatives approved its budget resolution, adding $92 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO), not including funding for the State Department. The Senate version approved $89 billion for OCO, also not including money for State. The Obama administration is scaling back military engagement in Afghanistan, and has vowed not to put American boots on the ground in the fight against ISIL. Yet Congress wants to fund the war account at nearly $40 billion more than the President requested.

To put those numbers into context, if $92 or $89 billion were ever to actually be appropriated for OCO, that spending would be equal to the second largest federal agency – second only to the Department of Defense base request itself.

The budget resolution is largely symbolic. It will never become law as it is nonbinding; nevertheless, both chambers passing budget blueprints that bolster defense spending at the expense of domestic programs foreshadows how the current Congress will continue to practice irresponsible budgeting. For starters, both resolutions are dependent upon the misuse of the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) account.

President Bush established the war funding mechanism after 9/11, at a time when his administration was liberally requesting emergency supplemental appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan because it was easier than planning for war spending within the base budget. But Bush stretched the definition of ‘emergency’ and used the supplemental account longer than he should have. The account grew into a true Pentagon slush fund, adding, for instance, funding for the F-15 program when none had been shot down in Afghanistan or Iraq.

President Obama tried to change this by creating Overseas Contingency Operations, and by trying to restrict what does and does not count as OCO eligible. But after the 2011 Budget Control Act instated across-the-board cuts, OCO became a get-out-of-jail-free card for the Pentagon’s wish list, because OCO is not constrained by the caps. The ‘what counts and what doesn’t’ rules quickly slackened. To take an example from budget expert Gordon Adams, “OCO is spending $200- to $300 million on fixing propellers on nuclear submarines. That couldn’t possibly be related to Afghanistan. The last I saw, it was a landlocked country.”

Although the Pentagon certainly treats OCO like funny money, as soon as it’s appropriated, it’s paid for using real American tax-payer dollars.

Congress’s abuse of OCO is like opening up another line of credit, even though it has already maxed out several credit cards. Looks like you can’t actually afford that Birkin bag you’re carrying after all, Department of Defense.

A Senate-House budget conference to create a singular budget agreed upon by both chambers is set for later this month. Thankfully, the resolution is, at the end of the day, largely just words on paper. It is symbolic. Congress has time before the authorization and appropriations processes to get back to reality and craft a budget based on strategy, not egregious spending. We’ve got plenty of ideas for sensible savings in national security.

Posted in: Nukes of Hazard blog, Pentagon Budget, Security Spending

Tweets by Nukes of Hazard

Recent Posts

  • Iran Is Backing Out of the Nuclear Deal That U.S. Had Already Reneged On for Years June 10, 2022
  • Biden’s mounting nuclear threats from North Korea, Iran June 10, 2022
  • ‘Predictable’ and ‘reinforces’ need for JCPOA: Statement on Iran censure, further limitations June 9, 2022
  • Time to Reset the Narrative on Missile Proliferation? June 3, 2022
  • A World Without Arms Control?  June 1, 2022
Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

820 1st Street NE, Suite LL-180
Washington, D.C. 20002
Phone: 202.546.0795

Issues

  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Non-Proliferation
  • Nuclear Security
  • Defense Spending
  • Biological and Chemical Weapons
  • Missile Defense
  • No First Use

Countries

  • China
  • France
  • India and Pakistan
  • Iran
  • Israel
  • North Korea
  • Russia
  • United Kingdom

Explore

  • Nukes of Hazard blog
  • Nukes of Hazard podcast
  • Nukes of Hazard videos
  • Front and Center
  • Fact Sheets

About

  • About
  • Meet the Staff
  • Boards & Experts
  • Press
  • Jobs & Internships
  • Financials and Annual Reports
  • Contact Us
  • Council for a Livable World
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Facebook

© 2022 Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Privacy Policy

Charity Navigator GuideStar Seal of Transparency