Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2008: Brief Overview

The Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY08 was used by Congress and the President to wrap up action on the regular appropriations acts in late 2007. The measure, H.R. 2674, originated as the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Act for FY08, passing the House in June and the Senate in Sep. 2007. In Dec. 2007, as the first session of the 110th Congress drew to a close, action on only one of the 12 regular appropriations acts for FY08 had been completed. The Defense Appropriations Act for FY08 was signed into law by President Bush on November 13, as P.L. 110-116. The act provided FY08 funding for regular activities of the Defense Department. In deciding to use H.R. 2674 as the vehicle for omnibus appropriations for FY08 covering the remaining 11 regular appropriations acts, as well as emergency funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, congressional leaders also decided to avoid conference procedures that typically are used to bring the House and Senate into final agreement on a measure. Instead, congressional leaders decided to reach final agreement by means of an exchange of amendments between the two chambers. On Dec. 17, the House began final action on the measure by agreeing to two amendments to the Senate amendment to the House-passed bill. The Senate concurred the next day, Dec. 18, in one House amendment providing omnibus appropriations for the 11 regular appropriations bills, and amended the second House amendment with the McConnell Amendment adding Iraq war funding. The following day, on Dec. 19, the House concurred in the McConnell Amendment, thus clearing the measure for the President. President George W. Bush signed the bill into law on Dec. 26. The act provides 473.5 billion in funding for 11 of the 12 regular appropriations acts, as well as 70b in emergency spending for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, 3.7b in emergency spending for veterans health care, and 7.5b for other emergency spending.