The United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies is a standing committee of the U.S. House subcommittees and is within the United States House Committee on Appropriations. The United States House Committee on Appropriations has joint jurisdiction with the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations over all appropriations bills in the United States Congress. Each committee has 12 matching subcommittees, each of which is tasked with working on one of the twelve annual regular appropriations bills. This subcommittee has jurisdiction over the budgets for the United States Department of Commerce, the United States Department of Justice, and Science policy of the United States.

The current chair of the subcommittee is Republican Hal Rogers of Kentucky and the Ranking Member is Democrat Grace Meng of New York.

Appropriations process

Traditionally, after a federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year has been passed, the appropriations subcommittees receive information about what the budget sets as their spending ceilings. This is called "302(b) allocations" after section 302(b) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. That amount is separated into smaller amounts for each of the twelve Subcommittees. The federal budget does not become law and is not signed by the President. Instead, it is guide for the House and the Senate in making appropriations and tax decisions. However, no budget is required and each chamber has procedures in place for what to do without one. The House and Senate now consider appropriations bills simultaneously, although originally the House went first. The House Committee on Appropriations usually reports the appropriations bills in May and June and the Senate in June. Any differences between appropriations bills passed by the House and the Senate are resolved in the fall.

Appropriations bills

An appropriations bill is a bill that appropriates (gives to, sets aside for) money to specific federal government departments, agencies, and programs. The money provides funding for operations, personnel, equipment, and activities. Regular appropriations bills are passed annually, with the funding they provide covering one fiscal year. The fiscal year is the accounting period of the federal government, which runs from October 1 to September 30 of the following year.

There are three types of appropriations bills: regular appropriations bills, continuing resolutions, and supplemental appropriations bills. Regular appropriations bills are the twelve standard bills that cover the funding for the federal government for one fiscal year and that are supposed to be enacted into law by October 1. If Congress has not enacted the regular appropriations bills by the time, it can pass a continuing resolution, which continues the pre-existing appropriations at the same levels as the previous fiscal year (or with minor modifications) for a set amount of time. The third type of appropriations bills are supplemental appropriations bills, which add additional funding above and beyond what was originally appropriated at the beginning of the fiscal year. Supplemental appropriations bills can be used for things like disaster relief.

Appropriations bills are one part of a larger United States budget and spending process. They are preceded in that process by the president's budget proposal, congressional budget resolutions, and the 302(b) allocation. Article One of the United States Constitution, section 9, clause 7, states that "No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law..." This is what gives Congress the power to make these appropriations. The President, however, still has the power to veto appropriations bills.

Jurisdiction The Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the budgets of the Departments of Commerce and Justice and several independent agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Members, 119th Congress MajorityMinority Hal Rogers, Kentucky, Chair John Carter, Texas Ben Cline, Virginia Tony Gonzales, Texas Andrew Clyde, Georgia Mark Alford, Missouri Dale Strong, Alabama, Vice Chair Riley Moore, West Virginia Grace Meng, New York, Ranking Member Glenn Ivey, Maryland Joe Morelle, New York Madeleine Dean, Pennsylvania Frank J. Mrvan, Indiana Ex officio Tom Cole, Oklahoma Rosa DeLauro, Connecticut

Historical membership

115th Congress MajorityMinority John Culberson, Texas, Chair Hal Rogers, Kentucky Robert Aderholt, Alabama, Vice Chair John Carter, Texas Martha Roby, Alabama Steven Palazzo, Mississippi Evan Jenkins, West Virginia (until September 20, 2018) José E. Serrano, New York, Ranking Member Derek Kilmer, Washington Matt Cartwright, Pennsylvania Grace Meng, New York Ex officio Rodney Frelinghuysen, New Jersey Nita Lowey, New York

116th Congress MajoritySubcommittee pageMinority José E. Serrano, New York, Chair Matt Cartwright, Pennsylvania, Vice Chair Grace Meng, New York Brenda Lawrence, Michigan Charlie Crist, Florida Ed Case, Hawaii Marcy Kaptur, Ohio Robert Aderholt, Alabama, Ranking Member Martha Roby, Alabama Steven Palazzo, Mississippi Tom Graves, Georgia Ex officio Nita Lowey, New York Kay Granger, Texas

117th Congress MajoritySubcommittee pageMinority Matt Cartwright, Pennsylvania, Chair Grace Meng, New York Charlie Crist, Florida, Vice Chair Ed Case, Hawaii Dutch Ruppersberger, Maryland Brenda Lawrence, Michigan David Trone, Maryland Robert Aderholt, Alabama, Ranking Member Steven Palazzo, Mississippi Ben Cline, Virginia Mike Garcia, California Ex officio Rosa DeLauro, Connecticut Kay Granger, Texas 118th Congress MajorityMinority Hal Rogers, Kentucky, Chair Robert Aderholt, Alabama John Carter, Texas Ben Cline, Virginia Mike Garcia, California Tony Gonzales, Texas Andrew Clyde, Georgia Jake Ellzey, Texas Matt Cartwright, Pennsylvania, Ranking Member Grace Meng, New York Dutch Ruppersberger, Maryland David Trone, Maryland Joe Morelle, New York Ex officio Kay Granger, Texas Rosa DeLauro, Connecticut

External links Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Official page

References