Congressional Activity
Live tracking of spending, appropriations, and budget-related bills from the 118th Congress. Filter by category, monitor bill status from introduction through enactment, and export data.
About this data
Congressional appropriations are the legal authority that lets federal agencies spend money, and this tracker follows every appropriations bill, continuing resolution, and fiscal-policy measure introduced in the current Congress. Discretionary spending — roughly one-third of federal outlays — can only be obligated after Congress enacts an appropriation. When Congress fails to pass one before September 30, the government either shuts down or operates under a continuing resolution that extends the prior year's levels.
Mandatory programs like Social Security and Medicare run on standing authority and don't require annual appropriations, so watching what appropriators do — and what they leave undone — is the best near-term signal for fiscal policy. Data comes directly from the Congress.gov API, refreshed daily. Each bill links back to its official record with full text, cosponsors, and status through introduction, committee action, floor votes, and enactment.
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Federal Budget Timeline
Progress of the 12 annual appropriations bills by fiscal year
HR 4366AppropriationsEnactedConsolidated Appropriations Act, 2024
HR 2670Fiscal PolicyEnactedNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024
HR 3746Debt LimitEnactedFiscal Responsibility Act of 2023
HR 4365AppropriationsPassed HouseDepartment of Defense Appropriations Act, 2024
HR 4664AppropriationsPassed HouseLabor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024
Data refreshed 4/18/2026, 1:28:34 PM. Cached for 6 hours.
Recent Bills — Summary Table
| Bill | Title | Status | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 4366 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 | Enacted | Mar 9, 2024 |
| HR 2670 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 | Enacted | Dec 22, 2023 |
| HR 3746 | Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 | Enacted | Jun 3, 2023 |
| HR 4365 | Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2024 | Passed House | Sep 28, 2023 |
| HR 4664 | Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 | Passed House | Nov 1, 2023 |
| HR 1 | For the People Act | Introduced | Jan 9, 2023 |
| S 1 | Freedom to Vote Act | Introduced | Jan 24, 2023 |
| HR 2 | Secure the Border Act | Passed House | May 11, 2023 |
| HR 3746 | Fiscal Responsibility Act | Enacted | May 28, 2023 |
| HR 4366 | Military Construction, Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act | Enacted | Mar 9, 2024 |
Key Terms
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between authorization and appropriations?
Authorization is a law that establishes or continues a federal program and sets the ceiling on what can be spent on it. Appropriations are the annual spending laws that fund the program up to that ceiling. A program can be authorized at a high level but funded at a lower level (or not at all) through appropriations.
What is a continuing resolution?
A continuing resolution (CR) is a short-term spending bill Congress passes when regular appropriations haven't been enacted by the start of the fiscal year on October 1. It keeps federal agencies funded — usually at prior-year levels — for a set number of weeks or months, avoiding a government shutdown while negotiations continue.
What is the debt ceiling?
The debt ceiling is the statutory cap on the total amount of money the U.S. Treasury is authorized to borrow. Congress must raise or suspend the ceiling before the Treasury hits it, or the government risks being unable to pay obligations Congress has already authorized. The U.S. is unusual among advanced economies in having a debt ceiling separate from spending decisions.
What is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)?
The Congressional Budget Office is the nonpartisan federal agency that provides Congress with budget and economic analysis. CBO produces cost estimates for pending legislation, 10-year budget baselines, and long-term fiscal projections that inform every major budget debate. Its counterparts in the executive branch are OMB and GAO.
How does a bill become a law?
A bill is introduced in the House or Senate, referred to committee, marked up, voted out of committee, and considered by the full chamber. Both chambers must pass the bill in identical form. The bill then goes to the President, who can sign it, veto it, or allow it to become law without signature after 10 days.