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In congress 2 committees are responsible for each government program (one in the house, one in the senate)
Authorization Committees: Responsible for legislation that creates a program and exercise oversight as it becomes operational
Appropriations Subcommittees: They must recommend funds before the authorization subcommittees can proceed.
Every government program goes through this loop twice: The authorization loop creates or reauthorizes the program (every 1,2, or 3 years)An expenditure ceiling is set in the authorization cycle.
Then there is an annual appropriations bill. No money can be spent by the treasury until that bill is passed. This appropriation can’t exceed the ceiling set by the authorization cycle.
The participants in the system create a bill through authorizing legislation, fund it through appropriation, manage it through federal agencies and oversee it through congressional oversight hearings.