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Title:

Biodefense Funding: Changes from President’s Budget to Congressional Appropriations

Authors:

Tara Kirk Sell, Kate Gilles, Crystal Franco

Date posted:

September 11, 2012

Publication type:

Article

Publication:

Biosecur Bioterror 2012;10(3):321-327

Publisher:

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

DOI:

10.1089/bsp.2012.0042

Availability:

Open access

See also:

Full article available on publisher's site: HTML • PDF

Introduction:

Since 2004, the Center for Biosecurity has tracked and published a series of articles detailing funding for civilian biodefense programs throughout the federal government. Each year, when the President publishes a budget for the federal agencies, the biodefense funding analysis is updated with new appropriations amounts and new programs. Estimated funding for the previous fiscal year is replaced with actual funding amounts; proposed budget amounts for the current fiscal year are replaced with current estimates based on congressional appropriations; and the newly proposed presidential budget for the next fiscal year is added.

The annual biodefense funding analysis focuses primarily on the presidential budget for the next fiscal year because it provides an indication of potential funding levels for biodefense programs. However, in reality, the President's budget is only a guideline indicating the administration's priorities. Congressional funding does not automatically follow the President's budget request. In fact, Congress rarely funds programs at exactly the same level requested by the President.