Appropriations (House)

1. Appropriations (House) Kristi

2. History • In 1789 an appropriations bill supported the nation’s needs. appropriations Committee on Ways and Means responsibility. Congress made that that same year. • By, federal spending jumped from an average of $60 million a year during rose to $1.3 billion 1865 because of the Civil War. House assigned different things to Ways and Means Committee and made new assignments given to the new Committee on Appropriations. • “The Committee on Appropriations – originally comprised of six Republicans and three Democrats – was appointed its first members on December 11, 1865.” • Thaddeus Stevens – first chair • “The Committee took responsibility for ten bills, not including deficiency bills, and first reported general appropriations bills.”

3. duties • In charge of setting the specific expenditures of money by the government of the US. • One of the most powerful of the committees • Its members are influential. • Transfers of unexpended balances

4. Chairman/Ranking Member • Chairman- David Obey • Education and healthcare are is main priorities • Agriculture policy, and commitment to the environment • Homeland security • key leader responding to 9/11 • Ranking Member- Jerry Lewis • Funds all federal programs • Reduced spending on wasteful funding by $40 billion • Helped in cancer treatment center in California

5. Facts • The appropriations committee is made of 37 democrats and 23 republicans.

6. Sources • http://www.obey.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=180 • http://appropriations.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14&Itemid=5 • http://www.gop.gov/member-bio/jerry-lewis • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Appropriations • http://www.rules.house.gov/archives/comm_jurisdiction.htm