Annual Appropriations Acts: Consideration
During Lame-Duck Sessions
Jessica Tollestrup
Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process
August 25, 2010
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RL34597
CRS Report for Congress
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress
Annual Appropriations Acts: Consideration During Lame-Duck Sessions
Summary
Seven of the past eight Congresses, covering the 103rd Congress through the 110th Congress, have
concluded with a lame-duck session (no such session occurred in 1996, during the 104th
Congress). The consideration of annual appropriations acts has been an important element of
some, but not all, of these lame-duck sessions. Although no annual appropriation acts were
considered during lame-duck sessions held in 1994, 1998, and 2008, a total of 14 regular and 11
continuing appropriations acts were considered and subsequently enacted into law during the four
other lame-duck sessions held in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006.
Although some (and occasionally all) regular appropriations acts may be enacted into law before
the start of the fiscal year, in recent decades it has been common for many regular appropriations
acts to be enacted after the start of the fiscal year. In the past, this has triggered the necessity for
continuing resolutions to extend spending authority until the annual appropriations acts have been
enacted. Additionally, this has periodically necessitated the consideration of regular
appropriations legislation during the last quarter of the calendar year, or even during the
following session.
This report provides information on the consideration of annual appropriations acts in the years
that lame-duck sessions occurred between 1994 and 2008 (FY1995, FY1999, FY2001, FY2003,
FY2005, FY2007, and FY2009). A lame-duck session occurs during the period following election
day, which is the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year, and
before the convening of a new Congress about two months later in early January. Several factors
may contribute to the occurrence of lame-duck sessions, including the need to deal with
unfinished appropriations or other budgetary matters.
A total of 131 annual appropriations acts—88 regular appropriations acts and 43 continuing
appropriations acts—were enacted into law for FY1995-FY2009 before, during, and after the
seven most recent lame-duck sessions. With respect to the 88 regular appropriations acts, 45 were
enacted into law before the beginning of the applicable lame-duck session, 14 were enacted
during the lame-duck session, and 29 were enacted afterwards. With respect to the 43 continuing
appropriations acts, 28 were enacted into law before the beginning of the applicable lame-duck
session, 11 were enacted during the lame-duck session, and four were enacted afterwards.
The report will be updated as developments warrant.
Congressional Research Service
Annual Appropriations Acts: Consideration During Lame-Duck Sessions
Contents
Background ................................................................................................................................1
Overview of Action on Appropriations Acts Before, During, and After Lame-Duck
Sessions ...................................................................................................................................2
Regular Appropriations Acts .................................................................................................3
Continuing Appropriations Acts ............................................................................................5
Summary of Action on Appropriations Acts in Lame-Duck Sessions Held in 1994-2008..............7
1994 and 1998 Lame-Duck Sessions .....................................................................................7
2000 Lame-Duck Session......................................................................................................8
2002 Lame-Duck Session......................................................................................................8
2004 Lame-Duck Session......................................................................................................9
2006 Lame-Duck Session......................................................................................................9
2008 Lame-Duck Session.................................................................................................... 10
Figures
Figure 1. Regular Appropriations Acts Enacted Before, During, and After Lame-Duck
Sessions: 1994-2008 ................................................................................................................4
Tables
Table 1. Party Control of Government During Lame-Duck Sessions: 1994-2008 .........................3
Table 2. Enactment of Regular Appropriations Acts into Law Before, During, and After
Lame-Duck Sessions: 1994-2008 .............................................................................................5
Table 3. Enactment of Continuing Appropriations Acts into Law Before, During, and
After Lame-Duck Sessions: 1994-2008 ....................................................................................6
Table 4. Annual Appropriations Acts Enacted into Law During Lame-Duck Sessions:
1994-2008.............................................................................................................................. 11
Contacts
Author Contact Information ...................................................................................................... 15
Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................... 15
Congressional Research Service
Annual Appropriations Acts: Consideration During Lame-Duck Sessions
A
lthough some (and occasionally all) regular appropriations acts may be enacted into law
before the start of the fiscal year, in recent decades it has been common for many regular
appropriations acts to be enacted after the start of the fiscal year, during the last quarter of
the calendar year.1 In some recent instances, including FY2006 and FY2008, the consideration of
regular appropriations acts has carried over to the following session.
Seven of the past eight Congresses, covering the 103rd Congress through the 110th Congress, have
concluded with a lame-duck session (no such session occurred in 1996, during the 104th
Congress). The consideration of annual appropriations acts has been an important element of
some, but not all, of these lame-duck sessions. Although no annual appropriation acts were
considered during lame-duck sessions held in 1994, 1998, and 2008, a total of 14 regular and 11
continuing appropriations acts were considered and subsequently enacted into law during the four
other lame-duck sessions held in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006.
This report provides information on the consideration of annual appropriations acts in connection
with lame-duck sessions occurring between 1994 and 2008.
Background
A lame-duck session occurs during the period following election day, which is the Tuesday after
the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year, and before the convening of a new
Congress about two months later in early January. (Under the 20th Amendment to the
Constitution, Congress is required to convene at noon on January 3, unless by statute it designates
a different day for convening; in recent years, a new Congress has convened during the first week
of January in each odd-numbered year, but not necessarily on January 3).2
A “lame duck” session of Congress is one that takes place after the election for the next
Congress has been held, but before the current Congress has reached the end of its
constitutional term. Under contemporary conditions, any meeting of Congress that occurs
between a congressional election in November and the following January 3 is a lame duck
session. The significant characteristic of a lame duck session is that its participants are the
sitting Members of the existing Congress, not those who will be entitled to sit in the new
Congress.3
Several factors may contribute to the occurrence of lame-duck sessions, including the need to
deal with unfinished business or urgent matters that have arisen suddenly. The consideration of
legislative proposals, particularly those with significant budgetary implications, sometimes is
postponed until a lame-duck session, often to avoid the need for politically difficult votes before
an election. Consideration of a measure raising the statutory limit on the public debt by $800
billion (to $8.184 trillion), for example, was postponed in 2004 until the lame-duck session; the
1
Regular appropriations acts may be enacted as freestanding measures or as part of an omnibus appropriations act. For
additional information on the latter, see CRS Report RL32473, Omnibus Appropriations Acts: Overview of Recent
Practices, by Jessica Tollestrup.
2
Section 2 of the 20th Amendment states: “The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting
shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.” See “Constitution
Annotated” on the CRS website at http://www.crs.gov/products/conan/WC01001.shtml.
3
CRS Report RL33677, Lame Duck Sessions of Congress, 1935-2008 (74th-110th Congresses), by Richard S. Beth.
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Annual Appropriations Acts: Consideration During Lame-Duck Sessions
measure was signed into law by President George W. Bush on November 19, 2004 as P.L. 108415 (118 Stat. 2337).
Lame-duck sessions have been used in recent years for various purposes, including efforts to
bring action on regular appropriations acts for a fiscal year to a close. In addition to action on
appropriations measures, lame-duck sessions have been used for such matters as the consideration
of authorization measures for the Department of Defense and intelligence activities, the
finalization of a measure establishing the Department of Homeland Security, and the
impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton by the House.
Seventeen lame-duck sessions occurred between 1935 and 2008.4 Ten of the 17 lame-duck
sessions occurred during the half-century covering the decades of the 1940s through the 1980s, an
average of one every five years.
The use of such sessions, however, has become more common in recent years, occurring about
twice as frequently. The remaining seven lame-duck sessions, which occurred in 1994, 1998,
2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008, covered a span of eight Congresses. As Table 1 shows, lameduck sessions during this period occurred whether party control of the federal government was
unified (i.e., the same party controlled the presidency and both chambers of Congress, as in 1994,
2004, and 2006) or divided. Further, lame-duck sessions occurred in presidential election years
(2000, 2004, and 2008) as well as non-presidential election years.
Overview of Action on Appropriations Acts Before,
During, and After Lame-Duck Sessions
In recent years, covering calendar years 1994 through 2008, lame-duck sessions have in some
instances afforded Congress an opportunity to complete action on regular appropriations acts for
a fiscal year. In other instances, lame-duck sessions played little or no role in this regard, as action
on regular appropriations acts was completed well before or after a lame-duck session. A total of
88 regular appropriations acts were enacted into law for the fiscal years that coincided with lameduck sessions, including 32 that were enacted separately and 56 that were included in omnibus
measures.
In addition, a total of 43 continuing appropriations acts were enacted into law during this period.
Like regular appropriations acts, the continuing appropriations acts were an important element in
some, but not all, of the lame-duck sessions.
4
CRS Report RL33677, Lame Duck Sessions of Congress, 1935-2008 (74th-110th Congresses), by Richard S. Beth,
ibid., identifies 17 lame-duck sessions between 1935 and 2008 (see Table 1). According to the report, “[t]he possibility
of a lame duck session of Congress in the modern sense began in 1935, when the 20th Amendment to the Constitution
took effect” (p. 1).
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Annual Appropriations Acts: Consideration During Lame-Duck Sessions
Table 1. Party Control of Government During Lame-Duck Sessions: 1994-2008
Lame-Duck Session
Congress
Dates
Duration
(in days)
Party Control
Presidency
House
Senate
103rd
11/29-12/1
1994
3
D
(Clinton)
D
D
104th
[none]
—
D
(Clinton)
R
R
105th
12/17-12/19
1998
3
D
(Clinton)
R
R
106th
11/13-12/15
2000
33
D
(Clinton)
R
R
107th
11/7-11/22
2002
16
R
(GW Bush)
R
D
108th
11/16-12/8
2004
23
R
(GW Bush)
R
R
109th
11/9-12/9
2006
31
R
(GW Bush)
R
R
110th
11/19-01/03
2009
46
R
(GW Bush)
D
D
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service.
Notes: “D” refers to the Democratic Party and “R” refers to the Republican Party. “Duration” refers to the
span of days from the first date to the last date that the House, the Senate, or both were in session, not to the
number of days that one or both chambers were in session during that period. In 2002, the House and Senate
held pro forma sessions without adjourning until the election on November 5; thus, the lame-duck session may
be regarded as commencing on the next day of session after the election, November 7, but legislative action did
not resume until November 12. In 2006, the House and Senate adjourned early in the morning of December 9
(before 5:00 a.m.).
The two types of annual appropriations acts, regular appropriations acts (including omnibus
measures) and continuing appropriations acts, are discussed separately below.
Regular Appropriations Acts
The variation regarding the role of lame-duck sessions in the consideration of regular
appropriations acts is shown in Figure 1 and Table 2. As the figure shows, all of the regular
appropriations acts for a fiscal year were enacted into law before, during, or after the seven most
recent lame-duck sessions held since 1994. During the 109th Congress, covering 2005 and 2006,
the number of regular appropriations acts was reduced from 13 to 11 due to reorganization of the
House and Senate Appropriations Committees.5 With respect to 2006, two of the 11 regular
appropriations acts (for FY2007) were enacted into law before the lame-duck session; the rest
5
Although initial consideration of appropriations legislation in the two chambers differed in both the number and
substance of the appropriations acts, the final acts that were agreed to numbered 11. For further information on this
change, see CRS Report RL31572, Appropriations Subcommittee Structure: History of Changes from 1920-2007, by
James V. Saturno.
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Annual Appropriations Acts: Consideration During Lame-Duck Sessions
were funded by a continuing resolution for the entire fiscal year. At the beginning of the 110th
Congress, a further reorganization of the appropriations subcommittees, which resulted in an
increase in the number of annual appropriations acts to 12, took effect. 6 For FY2009, three
appropriations acts, which were funded as part of a full-year continuing resolution, were
completed before the lame-duck session began; the remaining nine appropriations acts were
enacted via an omnibus appropriations act at the beginning of the 111th Congress.
In total, 45 of the 88 regular appropriations acts were enacted into law before the beginning of the
applicable lame-duck session, 14 were enacted during a lame-duck session, and 29 were enacted
afterwards.7
Figure 1. Regular Appropriations Acts Enacted Before, During, and After Lame-Duck
Sessions: 1994-2008
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1994
1998
2000
Enacted Before
2002
2004
Enacted During
2006
2008
Enacted After
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service.
Note: Four of the five regular appropriations acts for FY2001 considered during the lame-duck session in 2000
were signed into law six days after the sessions ended, but are considered for purposes of this memorandum as
having been enacted during the lame-duck session.
The occurrence of lame-duck sessions in 1994, 1998, and 2008 was not a factor in congressional
action on annual appropriations acts. In 1994, all of the 13 regular appropriations acts for FY1995
were enacted into law before the beginning of the fiscal year. In 1998, one of the FY1999 regular
appropriations acts was enacted before the start of the fiscal year, and the remaining 12 acts were
enacted by October 21, nearly two months before the lame-duck session began on December 17.
In 2008, work on three out of the 12 regular appropriations acts was completed before the end of
September. The remaining nine acts were not considered until the beginning of the 111th
Congress, where they were combined into an omnibus appropriations act and enacted into law on
March 11, 2009.
6
Ibid.
7
In 2000, the House and Senate completed action on five regular appropriations acts for FY2001 during the lame-duck
session, but four of them were signed into law on December 21, six days after the session had ended. For purposes of
this memorandum, all five acts are regarded as having been enacted during the lame-duck session.
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Annual Appropriations Acts: Consideration During Lame-Duck Sessions
Table 2. Enactment of Regular Appropriations Acts into Law Before, During, and
After Lame-Duck Sessions: 1994-2008
Calendar
Year
Number of Regular Appropriations Acts
Enacted Into Law:
Before
Lame-Duck
Session
During
Lame-Duck
Session
After
Lame-Duck
Session
Total
1994
13
0
0
13
1998
13
0
0
13
2000
8
5
0
13
2002
2
0
11
13
2004
4
9
0
13
2006
2
0
9
11
2008
3
0
9
12
Total
45
14
29
67
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service.
Note: Four of the five regular appropriations acts for FY2001 considered during the lame-duck session in 2000
were signed into law six days after the sessions ended, but are considered for purposes of this memorandum as
having been enacted during the lame-duck session.
The consideration of annual appropriations acts was an important element in two lame-duck
sessions. In 2000, eight regular appropriations acts were enacted before the lame-duck session,
but the remaining five were enacted during (or immediately after) the session. In 2004, four
regular appropriations acts were enacted before the lame-duck session, but the remaining nine
were enacted during the session.
Finally, different patterns prevailed in the other two lame-duck sessions, held in 2002 and 2006,
but the sessions again were not an important factor with respect to completing action on the
regular appropriations acts. In each year, two of the regular appropriations acts (for FY2003 and
FY2007, respectively) had been enacted into law before the lame-duck session began, but final
action on the remaining acts was not completed until February of the following session.
The remaining 11 regular appropriations acts for FY2003 were incorporated into an omnibus
appropriations measure, the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution for FY2003 (P.L. 108-7 ;
February 20, 2003).
None of the remaining nine regular appropriations acts for FY2007 were enacted; instead, fullyear funding was provided by a continuing resolution, the Revised Continuing Appropriations
Resolution for FY2007 (P.L. 110-5; February 15, 2007).
Continuing Appropriations Acts
Continuing appropriations acts, commonly known as continuing resolutions, have been an
integral component of the annual appropriations process for decades. Whenever action on one or
more of the regular appropriations acts for a fiscal year is incomplete after the fiscal year has
begun, continuing appropriations acts are used to provide stop-gap funding, thereby avoiding
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Annual Appropriations Acts: Consideration During Lame-Duck Sessions
disruption in agency operations. One issue that arises under these circumstances is how
continuing appropriations acts will be used to resolve any funding impasses and the appropriate
duration of any period for their use.8
Continuing resolutions may have a relatively short duration in the expectation that action on the
regular appropriations acts will be concluded within several days or weeks. In this case, multiple,
short-term continuing resolutions often are used to “buy time” for ongoing negotiations on
regular appropriations acts while maintaining incentives to complete the negotiations.
Alternatively, continuing resolutions may have a longer duration to postpone final action on
appropriations decisions until after elections or into the beginning of the next congressional
session. Finally, a continuing resolution may provide funding for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Continuing appropriations acts have been an important element of action on annual
appropriations measures before, during, and after some of the six lame-duck sessions held during
the 1994-2008 period, but not others (see Table 3). A total of 43 continuing appropriations acts
were enacted into law during this period.
In total, 28 of the 43 continuing appropriations acts were enacted into law before the beginning of
the applicable lame-duck session, 11 were enacted during the lame-duck session, and four were
enacted afterwards.9
In 1994, when all of the regular appropriations acts (for FY1995) were enacted into law in a
timely manner, no continuing appropriations acts were needed. In 1998, when all of the regular
appropriations acts (for FY1999) were enacted before the lame-duck session began (but not
before the beginning of the fiscal year), six continuing appropriations acts were enacted to
provide funding through the first three weeks of the fiscal year; none were needed afterwards,
including during the lame-duck session. In 2008, a single continuing resolution was enacted
before the fiscal year began that contained three regular appropriations acts and extended funding
for the remaining FY2009 appropriations acts through March 6, 2009.
Table 3. Enactment of Continuing Appropriations Acts into Law Before, During, and
After Lame-Duck Sessions: 1994-2008
Calendar
Year
Number of Continuing Appropriations Acts
Enacted Into Law:
Before
Lame-Duck
Session
During
Lame-Duck
Session
After
Lame-Duck
Session
Total
1994
0
0
0
0
1998
6
0
0
6
2000
15
6
0
21
8
For a more detailed discussion of this topic, see CRS Report RL32614, Duration of Continuing Resolutions in Recent
Years, by Jessica Tollestrup.
9
In 2002, the continuing appropriations act for FY2003 considered during the lame-duck session was enacted into law
on November 23, the day after the session ended. For purposes of this memorandum, the continuing appropriations act
is considered to have been enacted during the lame-duck session.
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Annual Appropriations Acts: Consideration During Lame-Duck Sessions
Calendar
Year
Number of Continuing Appropriations Acts
Enacted Into Law:
Before
Lame-Duck
Session
During
Lame-Duck
Session
After
Lame-Duck
Session
Total
2002
4
1
3
8
2004
1
2
0
3
2006
1
2
1
4
2008
1
0
0
1
Total
28
11
4
43
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service.
Notes: In 2002, the continuing appropriations act for FY2003 considered during the lame-duck session was
enacted into law on November 23, the day after the session ended. For purposes of this memorandum, the
continuing appropriations act is considered to have been enacted during the lame-duck session.
Circumstances were different with respect to the other four lame-duck sessions. In 2000, six
continuing appropriations acts for FY2001 were enacted into law during the lame-duck session
(15 had been enacted before the session began); in 2004, two continuing appropriations acts for
FY2005 were enacted during the lame-duck session (one had been enacted beforehand). No
continuing appropriations acts were needed, however, after the lame-duck sessions ended. In each
year, a continuing appropriations act was enacted before the lame-duck session ended that
extended stop-gap funding for five or six days, allowing sufficient time for the remaining regular
appropriations acts to be enacted into law.
Finally, in the case of the two remaining lame-duck sessions, held in 2002 and 2006, continuing
appropriations acts were needed both during and after the sessions. In 2002, one continuing
appropriations act for FY2003 was enacted during the lame-duck session (four had been enacted
before the session began); in 2006, two continuing appropriations acts for FY2007 were enacted
during the lame-duck session (one had been enacted beforehand). For FY2003, three additional
continuing appropriations acts were enacted into law early in the 2003 session before action was
concluded with the enactment of an omnibus measure on February 20. For FY2007, action was
concluded early in the 2007 session with the enactment of a full-year continuing resolution on
February 15.
Summary of Action on Appropriations Acts in
Lame-Duck Sessions Held in 1994-2008
A brief summary of action on the annual appropriations acts considered during each of the five
lame-duck sessions that occurred during the period from 1994 through 2008 is provided in this
section and in Table 4, at the end of the report.
1994 and 1998 Lame-Duck Sessions
In 1994, a lame-duck session was held on November 29-December 1. All 13 of the regular
appropriations acts for FY1995 were enacted into law prior to the start of the fiscal year on
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Annual Appropriations Acts: Consideration During Lame-Duck Sessions
October 1, before the lame-duck session began; all were enacted separately. No continuing
appropriations acts were needed.
In 1998, a lame-duck session was held on December 17-19. All 13 of the regular appropriations
acts for FY1999 were enacted into law prior to the lame-duck session, five separately and eight in
an omnibus measure, the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations
Act for FY1999 (P.L. 105-277; October 21, 2008). Six continuing appropriations acts were
enacted to provide stop-gap funding through October 21.
Over the three days of the 1998 lame-duck session, the House considered and passed a resolution
of impeachment against President Bill Clinton; the Senate was not in session.
No lame-duck session was held in the intervening election year, 1996.
2000 Lame-Duck Session
In 2000, a lame-duck session was held from November 13-December 15.
Eight of the 13 regular appropriations acts for FY2001 were enacted into law prior to the lameduck session, six separately and two as part of an omnibus measure, the VA-HUD Appropriations
Act for 2001 (P.L. 106-377; October 27, 2000), which also included funding for the Energy-Water
Development Appropriations Act for FY2001.
The remaining five regular appropriations acts for FY2001were considered and enacted into law
during the lame-duck session.10 An omnibus measure, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for
FY2001 (P.L. 106-554; December 21, 2000), covered the following three regular appropriations
acts: (1) Labor-HHS-Education, (2) Legislative Branch, and (3) Treasury-Postal Service. The
The Enactment of Appropriations Measures During Lame Duck Sessions
December 2, 2015
(RL34597)
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Summary
Ten of the past 11 Congresses, covering the 103rd Congress through the 113th Congress, have concluded with a lame duck session. (No such session occurred in 1996, during the 104th Congress.) Under contemporary conditions, any meeting of Congress that occurs between a congressional election in November and the following January 3 is a lame duck session. The significant characteristic of a lame duck session is that its participants are the sitting Members of the existing Congress, not those who will be entitled to sit in the new Congress.
The enactment of appropriations measures has been an element of most of these lame duck sessions. Although no regular or continuing appropriations measures were enacted during lame duck sessions held in 1994, 1998, 2008, and 2012, a total of 25 regular and 17 continuing appropriations measures were enacted during the six other lame duck sessions held in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, and 2014.
Although some (and occasionally all) of the regular appropriations bills for a fiscal year may be enacted before it begins, in recent decades it has been common for at least some of the regular appropriations bills to be enacted after the start of the fiscal year. In the past, this has triggered the necessity for continuing resolutions (CRs) to extend spending authority until the annual appropriations acts have been enacted and led to the consideration of regular appropriations legislation during the last quarter of the calendar year or even during the following session.
A lame duck session occurs during the period following Election Day—which is the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year—and before the convening of a new Congress about two months later in early January. Several factors may contribute to the occurrence of lame duck sessions, including the need to deal with unfinished appropriations or other budgetary matters.
This report provides information on the enactment of annual appropriations acts in the years that lame duck sessions occurred between 1994 and 2014 (FY1995, FY1999, FY2001, FY2003, FY2005, FY2007, FY2009, FY2011, FY2013, and FY2015). Between calendar years 1994 and 2012, lame duck sessions have in some instances afforded Congress an opportunity to complete action on regular appropriations for a fiscal year. In other instances, lame duck sessions played little or no role in this regard, as action on regular appropriations was completed well before or after a lame duck session. In total, 45 of the 124 regular appropriations acts during this period were enacted before the beginning of the applicable lame duck session, 25 were enacted during a lame duck session, and 54 were enacted afterward.
Continuing appropriations measures were also an important element in some, but not all, of the lame duck sessions that occurred between calendar years 1994 and 2014. In total, 31 of the 58 CRs were enacted before the beginning of the applicable lame duck session, 17 were enacted during the lame duck session, and 10 were enacted afterward.
The report will be updated as developments warrant.
The Enactment of Appropriations Measures During Lame Duck Sessions
The activities of most federal agencies are funded by means of annual appropriations provided in one or more of the regular appropriations acts that are enacted each fiscal year. Although some (and occasionally all) of the regular appropriations bills may be enacted before the fiscal year begins, in recent decades it has been common for most—if not all—of the regular appropriations bills to be enacted after the start of the fiscal year.1 In some recent instances—including FY2007, FY2009, FY2011, FY2013, and FY2015—the consideration of regular appropriations bills has carried over to the following session of Congress. When action on the regular appropriations acts is delayed beyond the start of the fiscal year, Congress may use one or more continuing appropriations acts (commonly known as continuing resolutions or CRs) to provide stop-gap funding.
Ten of the past 11 Congresses, covering the 103rd Congress through the 114th Congress, have concluded with a lame duck session.2 The enactment of appropriations measures has been an important element of most of these sessions. Although no regular or continuing appropriation measures were enacted during lame duck sessions held in 1994, 1998, 2008, and 2012, a total of 25 regular and 17 continuing appropriations measures were enacted during the six other lame duck sessions held in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, and 2014.
This report provides information on the enactment of regular and continuing appropriations measures in connection with lame duck sessions occurring between 1994 and 2014.
Background
A lame duck session occurs during the period following Election Day, which is the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year, and before the convening of a new Congress about two months later in early January. Under the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, Congress is required to convene at noon on January 3 following the election, unless by statute it designates a different day.3 In recent years, new Congresses have convened during the first week of January in each odd-numbered year but not necessarily on January 3. As pointed out in a CRS report:
A "lame duck" session of Congress is one that takes place after the election for the next Congress has been held, but before the current Congress has reached the end of its constitutional term. Under contemporary conditions, any meeting of Congress that occurs between a congressional election in November and the following January 3 is a lame duck session. The significant characteristic of a lame duck session is that its participants are the sitting Members of the existing Congress, not those who will be entitled to sit in the new Congress.4
Several factors may contribute to the occurrence of lame duck sessions, including the need to deal with unfinished business or urgent matters that have arisen suddenly. The consideration and enactment of legislative proposals, particularly those with significant budgetary implications, is sometimes postponed until a lame duck session. For example, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-240), which addressed a number of fiscal policies, was enacted at the end of the 2012 lame duck session on January 2, 2013.5
Lame duck sessions have been used in recent years for various purposes, including efforts to bring action on regular appropriations bills for a fiscal year to a close. In addition to action on appropriations measures, lame duck sessions have been used for such matters as the consideration of authorization measures for the Department of Defense and intelligence activities, the finalization of a measure establishing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the House impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton.
Twenty lame duck sessions occurred between 1935 and 2014.6 Ten of the 20 lame duck sessions occurred between 1935 and 1990, an average of one every five years. The use of such sessions, however, has become more common in recent years, occurring about twice as frequently. The remaining 10 lame duck sessions—which occurred after the 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014 elections—covered a span of 11 Congresses. As Table 1 shows, lame duck sessions occurred during this period whether party control of the federal government was unified (i.e., the same party controlled the presidency and both chambers of Congress, as in 1994, 2004, 2006, and 2010) or divided. Further, lame duck sessions occurred in presidential election years (2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012) as well as non-presidential election years.
Overview of the Enactment of Appropriations Measures Before, During, and After Lame Duck Sessions
Between calendar years 1994 and 2014, lame duck sessions have in some instances afforded Congress an opportunity to complete action on regular appropriations for a fiscal year. In other instances, lame duck sessions played little or no role in this regard, as action on regular appropriations was completed well before or after a lame duck session. A total of 124 regular appropriations acts were enacted (or covered by full-year CRs) for the fiscal years that coincided with lame duck sessions.
In addition, a total of 58 continuing appropriations measures were enacted for the fiscal years that coincided with lame duck sessions during this same period. As was the case for the regular appropriations bills, the continuing appropriations measures were an important element in some of the lame duck sessions.
Further information with regard to the annual appropriations acts and CRs that were enacted before, during, and after each lame duck session is displayed in Table 4 and discussed in the report section "Summary of Action on Appropriations Measures in Lame Duck Sessions Held in 1994-2014."
Table 1. Duration of Lame Duck Session and Party Control of Government:1994-2014
Congress
|
Lame Duck Session
|
Party Control
|
Dates
|
Duration (in calendar days)a
Presidencyb
House
|
Senate
|
103rd
|
11/29-12/1 1994
3
|
D (Clinton)
D
|
D
|
104th
|
[none]
|
—
|
D (Clinton)
R
|
R
|
105th
|
12/17-12/19 1998
3
|
D (Clinton)
R
|
R
|
106th
|
11/13-12/15 2000
33
|
D (Clinton)
R
|
R
|
107th
|
11/7-11/22 2002
16
|
R (GW Bush)
R
|
D
|
108th
|
11/16-12/8 2004
23
|
R (GW Bush)
R
|
R
|
109th
|
11/9-12/9 2006c
31
|
R (GW Bush)
R
|
R
|
110th
|
11/19 2008- 1/3/2009
46
|
R(GW Bush)
D
|
D
|
111th
|
11/4-12/29 2010
56
|
D(Obama)
D
|
D
|
112th
|
11/9/2012-1/3/2013
|
56
|
D(Obama)
R
|
D
|
114th
|
11/12/2014-1/3/2015
|
53
|
D
(Obama)
|
R
|
D
|
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service using data from the Legislative Information System and CQ Guide to Congress, 6th ed., vol. II (Washington: CQ Press, 2008), p. 1306.
a.
"Duration" refers to the span of days from the first date to the last date that the House, the Senate, or both were in session. This does not refer to the number of days that one or both chambers were in session during that period.
b.
"D" refers to the Democratic Party and "R" refers to the Republican Party.
c.
The House and Senate adjourned early in the morning of December 9 (before 5:00 a.m.).
Regular Appropriations Acts
The variation in the incidence of lame duck sessions and the enactment of regular appropriations bills is shown in Figure 1 and Table 2. As the figure shows, there have been considerable differences in the degree to which regular appropriations have been completed before, during, or after the 10 most recent lame duck sessions held since 1994. The count of regular appropriations acts in Figure 1 and Table 2 includes those that were enacted in standalone vehicles, omnibus vehicles, or covered by full year CRs. During the 109th Congress, covering 2005 and 2006, the number of regular appropriations acts was reduced from 13 to 11 due to reorganization of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.7 At the beginning of the 110th Congress, a further reorganization of the appropriations subcommittees took effect, which resulted in an increase in the number of annual appropriations acts to 12.8
Figure 1. Regular Appropriations Acts Enacted Before, During, and After Lame Duck Sessions: 1994-2014
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service using data from the Legislative Information System.
Notes: During the 109th Congress, covering 2005 and 2006, the number of regular appropriations acts was reduced from 13 to 11 due to reorganization of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. At the beginning of the 110th Congress, a further reorganization of the appropriations subcommittees took effect, which resulted in an increase in the number of annual appropriations acts to 12. For further information, see CRS Report RL31572, Appropriations Subcommittee Structure: History of Changes from 1920 to 2015, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].
Four of the five regular appropriations acts for FY2001 considered during the lame duck session in 2000 were signed into law six days after the session ended but are considered for purposes of this report as having been enacted during the lame duck session.
In total, 45 of the 124 regular appropriations acts during this period were enacted before the beginning of the applicable lame duck session, 25 were enacted during a lame duck session, and 54 were enacted afterward.9
Table 2. Enactment of Regular Appropriations Acts into Law Before, During, and After Lame Duck Sessions: 1994-2014
Calendar Year
Number of Regular Appropriations Acts Enacted:
Before Lame Duck Session
During Lame Duck Session
After Lame Duck Session
Total
|
1994
|
13
|
0
|
0
|
13
|
1998
|
13
|
0
|
0
|
13
|
2000
|
8
|
5
|
0
|
13
|
2002
|
2
|
0
|
11
|
13
|
2004
|
4
|
9
|
0
|
13
|
2006
|
2
|
0
|
9
|
11
|
2008
|
3
|
0
|
9
|
12
|
2010
|
0
|
0
|
12
|
12
|
2012
|
0
|
0
|
12
|
12
|
2014
|
0
|
11
|
1
|
12
|
Total
|
45
|
25
|
54
|
124
|
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service.
Note: Four of the five regular appropriations acts for FY2001 considered during the lame duck session in 2000 were signed into law six days after the sessions ended but are considered for purposes of this report as having been enacted during the lame duck session.
The occurrence of lame duck sessions in 1994, 1998, 2008, and 2012 did not result in the enactment of regular appropriations acts. In 1994, all of the 13 regular appropriations acts for FY1995 were enacted before the beginning of the fiscal year. In 1998, one of the FY1999 regular appropriations bills was enacted before the start of the fiscal year, and the remaining 12 bills were enacted by October 21, nearly two months before the lame duck session began on December 17. In 2008, work on 3 out of the 12 regular appropriations acts for FY2009 was completed before the end of September; at that time, a CR was enacted that provided funding for the nine remaining acts through early March of the following year. Those nine acts were not considered until the beginning of the 111th Congress, when they were combined into an omnibus appropriations measure and enacted on March 11, 2009. Similarly, in 2012, a CR was enacted prior to the beginning of the fiscal year that provided funding through March 27, 2013. Annual appropriations for FY2013 were later enacted after the beginning of the 113th Congress on March 26, 2013, in a consolidated measure that contained five regular appropriations acts and full-year CR that covered the seven remaining regular appropriations acts.
The enactment of regular appropriations bills was an important element in three lame duck sessions: 2000, 2004, and 2014. In 2000, eight regular appropriations bills were enacted before the lame duck session, but the remaining five were enacted during (or immediately after) the session. In 2004, four regular appropriations bills were enacted before the lame duck session, but the remaining nine were enacted during the session. Most recently, in 2014, a consolidated measure containing 11 of the regular appropriations acts for that fiscal year was enacted during the lame duck session, with the remaining regular bill—for DHS—being enacted afterward on March 4, 2015.
Different patterns prevailed in the other three lame duck sessions held in 2002, 2006, and 2010, but action on all regular appropriations acts was not completed until after the session in any of these instances. In 2002 and 2006, two of the regular appropriations bills (for FY2003 and FY2007, respectively) had been enacted before the lame duck session began, but final action on the remaining acts was not completed until February during the following session. The remaining 11 regular appropriations acts for FY2003 were incorporated into an omnibus appropriations measure, which was enacted on February 20, 2003. Full-year funding for the nine remaining FY2007 regular appropriations acts was provided through a full year CR, which was enacted on February 15, 2007. For 2010, no regular appropriations bills had been enacted before the start of the lame duck session, and annual appropriations were ultimately provided in a consolidated measure that was enacted on April 15, 2011. This measure contained the Department of Defense Appropriations Act and funded the programs and activities in the 11 remaining appropriations bills through a full-year CR.
Continuing Appropriations Acts
Continuing appropriations acts have been an integral component of the annual appropriations process for decades. Whenever action on one or more of the regular appropriations bills for a fiscal year is not completed until after the fiscal year has begun, CRs are used to provide stop-gap funding, thereby avoiding disruption in agency operations. Two issues that arise under these circumstances are how CRs will be used to resolve any funding impasses and the appropriate duration of any period for their use.10
CRs may have a relatively short duration in the expectation that action on the regular appropriations acts will be concluded within several days or weeks. In this case, multiple short-term CRs are often used to "buy time" for ongoing negotiations on regular appropriations acts while maintaining incentives to complete the negotiations. Alternatively, CRs may have a longer duration to postpone final action on appropriations decisions until after elections or into the beginning of the next congressional session. Finally, a CR may provide funding for the remainder of the fiscal year, as was the case in FY2007, FY2011, and FY2013.
There has been considerable variation in the degree to which CRs have been used to provide stop-gap funding during the 10 most recent lame duck sessions held since 1994 (see Table 3). A total of 57 CRs were enacted for the fiscal years that coincided with lame duck sessions during this period. In total, 31 of the 58 CRs were enacted before the beginning of the applicable lame duck session, 17 were enacted during the lame duck session, and 10 were enacted afterward.11
In 1994, when all of the regular appropriations bills (for FY1995) were enacted prior to the beginning of the fiscal year, no CRs were needed. In 1998, all of the regular appropriations bills (for FY1999) were enacted before the lame duck session began (but not before the beginning of the fiscal year). Six CRs were enacted to provide funding through the first three weeks of the fiscal year, but none were needed afterward. In 2008, the CR that was enacted before the fiscal year began also contained three regular appropriations acts. That CR extended funding for the remaining appropriations acts through March 6, 2009, at which point action on annual appropriations was completed. Similarly, a long-term CR, which provided funding for the first six months of FY2013, eliminated the necessity for stop-gap appropriations during the 2012 lame duck session. Action on annual appropriations for FY2013 was completed during the following session of Congress on March 28, 2013.
Table 3. Enactment of Continuing Appropriations Acts into Law Before, During, and After Lame Duck Sessions: 1994-2014
Calendar Year
Number of Continuing Appropriations Acts Enacted:
Before Lame Duck Session
During Lame Duck Session
After Lame Duck Session
Total
|
1994
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1998
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
6
|
2000
|
15
|
6
|
0
|
21
|
2002
|
4
|
1
|
3
|
8
|
2004
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
2006
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
4
|
2008
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2010
|
1
|
3
|
4
|
8
|
2012
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
2014
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
5
|
Total
|
31
|
17
|
10
|
58
|
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service.
Notes: In 2002, the continuing appropriations act for FY2003 considered during the lame duck session was enacted on November 23, the day after the session ended. For purposes of this report, the CR is considered to have been enacted during the lame duck session.
Circumstances were different with respect to the other six lame duck sessions, which all involved the enactment of one or more CRs. In 2000, six CRs for FY2001 were enacted during the lame duck session. (Fifteen had been enacted before the session began.) In 2004, two CRs for FY2005 were enacted during the lame duck session. (One had been enacted before the session began.) In each year, one or more CRs was enacted before the lame duck session ended that extended stop-gap funding for a period of less than one week, allowing sufficient time for the remaining regular appropriations acts to be enacted. As a consequence, no CRs were needed after these lame duck sessions ended.
In the case of the four remaining lame duck sessions—held in 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014—CRs were needed to provide stop-gap funding both during and after the sessions. In 2002, one CR for FY2003 was enacted during the lame duck session. (Four had been enacted before the session began.) Three additional CRs were enacted early in the 2003 session before action on appropriations was ultimately concluded with the enactment of an omnibus measure on February 20. In 2006, two CRs for FY2007 were enacted during the lame duck session. (One had been enacted before the session began.) Action was concluded early in the 2007 session with the enactment of a full-year CR on February 15. In 2010, three CRs were enacted during the lame duck session. (One had been enacted before the session began.) Four additional CRs were needed after the 2011 session of Congress had begun until action on appropriations was completed through the enactment of a consolidated measure on April 15, 2011.
Most recently, 11 of the appropriations acts for FY2015 were enacted in a consolidated measure during the 2014 lame duck session. Two CRs were also enacted during the lame duck session to provide stop-gap funding while that consolidated measure was being completed. In addition, the consolidated act contained a CR that provided stop-gap appropriations for DHS until February 27, 2015. Those stop-gap appropriations were later extended through March 6 by a further CR that was enacted during the new session of Congress. The purpose of this CR was to allow time the complete the remaining DHS regular appropriations act.
Summary of Action on Appropriations Measures in Lame Duck Sessions Held in 1994-2014
A brief summary of action on regular appropriations and CRs that were enacted during each of the 10 lame duck sessions that occurred during the period between 1994 and 2014 is provided in this section and in Table 4 at the end of the report.
1994 and 1998 Lame Duck Sessions
In 1994, a lame duck session was held from November 29 to December 1. All 13 of the regular appropriations acts for FY1995 were enacted prior to the start of the fiscal year on October 1, before the lame duck session began; all were enacted separately. No CRs were needed.
In 1998, a lame duck session was held on December 17-19. All 13 of the regular appropriations acts for FY1999 were enacted prior to the lame duck session—five separately and eight in an omnibus measure, the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for FY1999 (P.L. 105-277; October 21, 2008). Six CRs were enacted to provide stop-gap funding through October 21.
Over the three days of the 1998 lame duck session, the House considered and passed a resolution of impeachment against President Bill Clinton; the Senate was not in session.
For 1996, all regular appropriations acts were completed prior to the beginning of the fiscal year, and no lame duck session was held.
2000 Lame Duck Session
In 2000, a lame duck session was held from November 13 to December 15.
Eight of the 13 regular appropriations acts for FY2001 were enacted prior to the lame duck session—six separately and two as part of an omnibus measure, the VA-HUD Appropriations Act for 2001 (P.L. 106-377; October 27, 2000), which also included funding for the Energy-Water Development Appropriations Act for FY2001.
The remaining five regular appropriations acts for FY2001 were considered and enacted during the lame duck session.12 An omnibus measure, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2001 (P.L. 106-554; December 21, 2000), covered the following three regular appropriations acts: (1) Labor-HHS-Education, (2) Legislative Branch, and (3) Treasury-Postal Service. The District of Columbia Appropriations Act for FY2001 (P.L. 106-522; November 22, 2000) and the
Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations Act for FY2001 (P.L. 106-553; December 21, 2000) were
enacted separately.
Fifteen continuing appropriations acts
Fifteen CRs were enacted
into law before the lame
- duck session began.
Six continuing appropriations acts were enacted into law Six CRs were enacted during the lame
- duck session.
2002 Lame
- Duck Session
A lame
- duck session was held
on November 7-22, 2002. No regular appropriations acts were
considered during the session.
Two of the regular appropriations acts for FY2003 were enacted
into law before the lame
-duck
duck session began—the Defense Appropriations Act (P.L. 107-248) and the Military Construction
Appropriations Act (P.L. 107-249
); they both became law on October 23, 2002.
10
The House and Senate completed action on five regular appropriations acts for FY2001 during the lame-duck
session, but four of them were signed into law on December 21, 2000, six days after the session had ended. For
purposes of this memorandum, all five acts are regarded as having been enacted during the lame-duck session.
Congressional Research Service
8
Annual Appropriations Acts: Consideration During Lame-Duck Sessions
). They both became law on October 23, 2002.
All of the remaining 11 regular appropriations acts for FY2003 were enacted
into law early in the
next Congress as a single measure, the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution for FY2003 (P.L.
108-7; February 20, 2003), many weeks after the lame
- duck session had ended.
Four continuing appropriations act
Four CRs for FY2003 were enacted
into law before the lame
-duck
duck session began. One further
continuing appropriations actCR for the fiscal year was considered and
enacted into law enacted during the lame
- duck session (P.L. 107-294; November 23, 2002).
11 Three more
continuing appropriations acts13 Three more CRs were enacted early in the next Congress.
2004 Lame
- Duck Session
The lame
- duck session for 2004 was held
onfrom November 16
- to December 8.
Four of the 13 regular appropriations acts for FY2005 were enacted
into law before the
lameducklame duck session began (the Defense, District of Columbia, Homeland Security, and Military
Construction Appropriations Acts); all were enacted separately.
The remaining nine regular appropriations acts for FY2005 were considered and enacted
into law
during the lame
- duck session as part of an omnibus measure, the Consolidated Appropriations Act
for FY2005 (P.L. 108-447; December 8, 2004).
One continuing appropriations act was enacted into law
One CR was enacted before the lame
- duck session began. Two
further continuing appropriations act further CRs for FY2005 were considered and enacted
into law during the
lame-duck session, during the lame duck session: P.L. 108-416 (November 21, 2004) and P.L. 108-434 (December 3, 2004).
2006 Lame
- Duck Session
The lame
- duck session for 2006 was held
onfrom November 13
- to December 9.
Two of the 11 regular appropriations acts for FY2007 were separately enacted before the
lameducklame duck session began. The Defense Appropriations Act (P.L. 109-289) and the Homeland Security
Appropriations Act (P.L. 109-295) were signed into law on September 29 and October 4,
respectively. The nine other appropriations acts were extended through November 17 via a
continuing resolution CR enacted on September 29 (P.L. 109-289
).
).
Although a number of the remaining appropriations acts were considered by both the House and
the Senate prior to the pre
-election
recess12,recess,14 the only act to be considered by either chamber
during the lame
- duck session was H.R. 5385, the Military Construction, Military Quality of Life,
and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, which was considered by the Senate and passed on
November 14. Action on the nine regular appropriations acts was completed via a full-year
continuing resolution ( CR (H.J.Res. 20) that was signed into law on February 15, 2007 (P.L. 110-5
).
At the beginning of the lame duck session, a second CR for FY2007 was enacted ().
11
The continuing appropriations act was considered during the lame-duck session but was enacted into law on
November 23, the day after the session ended. For purposes of this memorandum, the continuing appropriations act is
considered to have been enacted during the lame-duck session.
12
The House recessed on October 3, 2008. The Senate held pro forma sessions through the beginning of the lame-duck
session on November 19, 2008.
Congressional Research Service
9
Annual Appropriations Acts: Consideration During Lame-Duck Sessions
At the beginning of the lame-duck session, a second continuing resolution for FY2007 was
enacted (P.L. 109-369) to provide appropriations through December 8. When it
becomebecame apparent
that action on regular appropriations would not be completed, a third
continuing resolutionCR was
enacted (P.L. 109-383) that extended appropriations through February 15, 2007.
2008 Lame
- Duck Session
The lame
- duck session for 2008 was held
onfrom November 19
- to January 3. No regular appropriations
acts were considered during the session.
Three of the 12 regular appropriations acts for FY2009 (Defense, Homeland Security, and
Military Construction/
Veteran’sVeterans Affairs) were enacted before the lame
- duck session
via the
as part of the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations resolution, which
became law on September 30 (P.L. 110-329
). This CR). This continuing resolution extended funding for the
nine remaining appropriations acts through March 6, 2009.
No action on appropriations was undertaken during the 2008 lame
- duck session. The remaining
appropriations acts were consolidated in the early days of the
111th111th Congress into the Omnibus
Appropriations Act, 2009, which was signed by the President on March 11, 2009 (P.L. 111-8
).
2010 Lame Duck Session
The lame duck session for 2010 was held from November 4 to December 19. No regular appropriations acts were considered during the session.
Before the pre-election recess, none of the 12 regular appropriations bills had been enacted, and only two regular appropriations bills for FY2011 (Military Construction/Veterans Affairs and Transportation/Housing and Urban Development) had been passed by the House. A CR (P.L. 111-242) was enacted on September 30 that extended budget authority through December 3.
None of the regular appropriations bills was enacted during the 2010 lame duck session. Funding for FY2011 was further extended through three additional CRs (P.L. 111-290, enacted on December 4, 2010; P.L. 111-317, enacted on December 18, 2010; P.L. 111-322, enacted on December 22, 2010) through March 4 of the next session.
In the first months of the 112th Congress, three additional CRs (P.L. 112-4, enacted on March 2, 2011; P.L. 112-6, enacted on March 18, 2011; P.L. 112-8, enacted on April 9, 2011) provided further stop-gap budget authority. FY2011 appropriations were ultimately provided in the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-10; April 15, 2011). Division A contained the Department of Defense Appropriations Act; funding for the 11 remaining acts was provided in Division B through a full-year CR.
2012 Lame Duck Session
The lame duck session for 2012 was held from November 9, 2012, to January 3, 2013. No regular or continuing appropriations acts were enacted during the session.
Before the pre-election recess, none of the regular appropriations bills had been enacted. Seven bills had been passed by the House; none had been passed by the Senate. Continuing appropriations through March 27, 2013, were provided by P.L. 112-175, which was enacted on September 28, 2012.
After the session, annual appropriations were provided by P.L. 113-6, the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013, which was enacted on March 26, 2013. Division F of the act, entitled "the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act," provided budget authority that covered seven regular appropriations bills; the texts of the other five regular appropriations acts were contained in Divisions A through E of P.L. 113-6.
2014 Lame Duck Session
The lame duck session for 2014 was held from November 12, 2014, to January 3, 2015.
Because none of the regular appropriations bills were enacted by the start of the fiscal year, a CR was enacted to provide temporary funding through December 11, 2014 (P.L. 113-164, September 19, 2014).
During the lame duck session, 11 of the 12 regular appropriations acts were enacted on December 16, 2014, as part of the "Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015" (P.L. 113-235). That law also contained a CR that provided stop-gap appropriations for DHS through February 27, 2015. Two additional CRs (P.L. 113-202, December 12, 2014; and P.L. 113-203, December 13, 2014) were enacted during the lame duck session to provide short-term appropriations while the consolidated measure was being completed.
After the lame duck session, one further CR was enacted to extend funding for DHS through March 6, 2015, to allow time to complete the DHS regular appropriations bill (P.L. 114-3). The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for FY2015 was enacted on March 4, 2015 (P.L. 114-4).
).
Congressional Research Service
10
Table 4. Annual Appropriations Acts
Enacted into Lawand CRs Enacted During Lame
- Duck Sessions: 1994-
2008
Dates of
Lame-Duck
Sessiona
2014
Dates of Lame Duck Sessiona
Appropriations Acts Enacted
Into into Law During
the Lame
-Duck Session
Commentary
103rd Congress
1994
November 29December 1
[none]
Duck Session
Commentary
|
103rd Congress
|
1994 November 29-December 1
[none]
|
All 13 of the regular appropriations acts for FY1995 were enacted
into law prior to the start of the fiscal year on
October 1, before the lame
- duck session; all were enacted separately.
[none]
104th Congress
|
1996 [no lame duck session held]
[none]
|
All 13 of the regular appropriations acts for FY1997 were enacted
into law prior to the start of the fiscal year on
October 1. Seven of the measures were enacted separately, and six were incorporated into an omnibus measure,
the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY1997 (P.L. 104-208, September 30; 1996).
[none]
105th Congress
|
1998 December 17-December 19
[none]
|
All 13 of the regular appropriations acts for FY1999 were enacted
into law prior to the lame
- duck session
, five
—five separately and eight in an omnibus measure, the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations Act for FY1999 (P.L. 105-277
; October 21, 2008).
; October 21, 2008).
104th Congress
1996
[no lame-duck
session held]
105th Congress
1998
December 17December 19
Over three days, the House considered and passed a resolution of impeachment against President Bill Clinton;
the Senate was not in session.
106th Congress
2000
November 13December 15
Regular Appropriations Acts
•
106th Congress
|
2000 November 13-December 15
Regular Appropriations Acts • P.L. 106-522, District of
Columbia Appropriations Act for
FY2001
FY2001 (November 22, 2000)
•
• P.L. 106-553
, Commerce-Justice, CommerceJustice-State Appropriations Act
for FY2001
(December 21, 2000)
•
• P.L. 106-554, Consolidated
Appropriations Act for FY2001
(December 21, 2000)
CRS-11
Regular Appropriations Acts.
Eight of the 13 regular appropriations acts for FY2001 were enacted
into law
prior to the lame
- duck session, six separately and two as part of an omnibus measure, the VA-HUD
Appropriations Act for 2001 (P.L. 106-377, October 27, 2000), which also included funding for the Energy-Water
Development Appropriations Act for FY2001.
The remaining five regular appropriations acts for FY2001were considered and enacted
into law during (or
immediately after) the lame
- duck session.
bb An omnibus measure, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for
FY2001 (P.L. 106-554), covered the following three regular appropriations acts: (1) Labor-HHS-Education, (2)
Legislative Branch, and (3) Treasury-Postal Service.
The District of Columbia Appropriations Act for FY2001 (P.L. 106-522) and the Commerce-Justice-State
Appropriations Act for FY2001 (P.L. 106-553
) were enacted separately.
Continuing Appropriations Acts • ) were enacted separately.
Dates of
Lame-Duck
Sessiona
Appropriations Acts Enacted
Into Law During
the Lame-Duck Session
Continuing Appropriations
Acts
• P.L. 106-520, Further Continuing
Appropriations Act for FY2001
(November 15, 2000)
Commentary
Continuing Appropriations Acts. Fifteen continuing appropriations acts were enacted into law before the
lame-duck session began.
Six further continuing appropriations acts were considered and enacted during the lame-duck session.
• (November 15, 2000)
• P.L. 106-537, Further Continuing
Appropriations Act for FY2001
(December 5, 2000)
•
• P.L. 106-539, Further Continuing
Appropriations Act for FY2001
(December 7, 2000)
•
• P.L. 106-540, Further Continuing
Appropriations Act for FY2001
(December 8, 2000)
•
• P.L. 106-542, Further Continuing
Appropriations Act for FY2001
(December 11, 2000)
•
• P.L. 106-543, Further Continuing
Appropriations Act for FY2001
(December 15, 2000)
107th Congress
2002
November 7November 22
Regular Appropriations Acts
[none]
Regular Appropriations Acts.
Fifteen CRs were enacted before the lame duck session began.
Six further CRs were considered and enacted during the lame duck session.
|
107th Congress
|
2002 November 7-November 22
Regular Appropriations Acts [none]
Two of the 13 regular appropriations acts for FY2003 were enacted
into law
before the lame
- duck session began (the Defense and Military Construction Appropriations Acts).
All of the remaining 11 regular appropriations acts for FY2003 were considered and enacted
into law early in the
next Congress as an omnibus measure, the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution for FY2003 (P.L. 108-7
;
; February 20, 2003).
Continuing Appropriations
Acts
•
Continuing Appropriations Acts • P.L. 107-294, Further Continuing
Appropriations Act for FY2003
(November 23, 2002)
Continuing Appropriations Acts. Four continuing appropriations acts were enacted into law before the lameduck session began.
One further continuing appropriations act
Four CRs were enacted before the lame duck session began.
One further CR for FY2003 was considered and enacted
into law during the lame
-duck
duck session (P.L. 107-294
).c
Three more CRs).c
Three more continuing appropriations acts were enacted early in the next Congress.
CRS-12
Dates of
Lame-Duck
Sessiona
Appropriations Acts Enacted
Into Law During
the Lame-Duck Session
Commentary
108th Congress
2004
November 16December 8
Regular Appropriations Acts
•
108th Congress
|
2004 November 16-December 8
Regular Appropriations Acts • P.L. 108-447, Consolidated
Appropriations Act for FY2005
(December 8, 2004)
Regular Appropriations Acts.
Four of the 13 regular appropriations acts for FY2005 were enacted
into law
before the lame
- duck session began (the Defense, District of Columbia, Homeland Security, and Military
Construction Appropriations Acts); all were enacted separately.
Continuing Appropriations
Acts
• P.L. 108-416, Further Continuing
Appropriations Act for FY2005
(November 21, 2004)
Continuing Appropriations Acts. One continuing appropriations act was enacted into law before the lameduck session began.
The remaining nine regular appropriations acts for FY2005 were considered and enacted
into law during the
lame-during the lame duck session as part of an omnibus measure, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2005 (
P.L. 108-447).
Continuing Appropriations Acts • P.L. 108-416, Further Continuing Appropriations Act for FY2005 (November 21, 2004)
• P.L. 108447).
Two further continuing appropriations act for FY2005 were considered and enacted into law during the lameduck session (P.L. 108-416 and 108-434).
• P.L. 108-434, Further Continuing
Appropriations Act for FY2005
(December 3, 2004)
109th Congress
2006
November 9December 9
Regular Appropriations Acts
[none]
Regular Appropriations Acts. Two of the 11d regular appropriations acts for FY2007 were enacted into law
before the lame- (December 3, 2004)
One CR was enacted before the lame duck session began.
Two further CR for FY2005 were considered and enacted during the lame duck session (P.L. 108-416 and P.L. 108-434).
|
109th Congress
|
2006 November 9-December 9
Regular Appropriations Acts [none]
Two of the 11d regular appropriations acts for FY2007 were enacted before the lame duck session began (the Defense and Homeland Security Appropriations Acts).
None of the remaining nine regular appropriations acts for FY2007 were enacted
into law during (or after) the
lame- lame duck session. Funding for the rest of the fiscal year for all of the remaining regular appropriations acts was
provided early in the
110th110th Congress in a full-year
continuing resolutionCR, the Revised Continuing Appropriations
Resolution for FY2007 (P.L. 110-5; February 15, 2007).
During the lame
- duck session, the Senate considered and passed H.R. 5385, the Military Construction, Military
Quality of Life, and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, but the two chambers did not take any conference
action on the bill.
Continuing Appropriations
Acts
•
Continuing Appropriations Acts • P.L. 109-369, Further Continuing
Appropriations Act for FY2007
(November 17, 2006)
•
• P.L. 109-383, Further Continuing
Appropriations Act for FY2007
(December 9, 2004)
CRS-13
Continuing Appropriations Acts. One continuing appropriations act was enacted into law before the lameduck session began.
Two further continuing appropriations act (December 9, 2004)
One CR was enacted before the lame duck session began.
Two further CRs for FY2007 were considered and enacted
into law during the
lameducklame duck session
, ( (P.L. 109-369 and P.L. 109-383
).
110th Congress
|
2008 November 19-January 3 (2009)
Regular Appropriations Acts [none]
Three of the 12d).
Dates of
Lame-Duck
Sessiona
Appropriations Acts Enacted
Into Law During
the Lame-Duck Session
Commentary
110th Congress
2008
November 19January 3
Regular Appropriations Acts
[none]
Regular Appropriations Acts. Three of the 12d regular appropriations acts for FY2009 were enacted
into law
before the lame
- duck session began (the Defense, Homeland Security, and Military Construction/
Veteran’sVeterans Affairs
Appropriations Acts).
The remaining nine regular appropriations acts for FY2009 were considered and enacted
into law early in the
next Congress via the Omnibus Appropriations Act for FY2009 (P.L. 111-8
; March 11, 2009).
Continuing Appropriations Acts [none]
One CR was enacted before the lame duck session began that extended appropriations through March 6, 2009 (P.L. 110-329).
|
111th Congress
|
2010 November 4-December 29
Regular Appropriations Acts [none]
None of the 12 regular appropriations bills had been enacted before the pre-election recess.
None of the regular appropriations bills was enacted during the 2010 lame duck session.
FY2011 appropriations were ultimately provided in the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-10; April 15, 2011); funding for the Department of Defense Appropriations Act was provided in Division A.
|
Continuing Appropriations Acts - P.L. 111-290, Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2011 (December 4, 2010)
- P.L. 111-317, Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2011 (December 18, 2010)
- P.L. 111-322, Continuing Appropriations and Surface Transportation Extensions Act, 2011 (December 22, 2010)
|
A CR (P.L. 111-242) was enacted on September 30 that extended funding through December 3.
Three CRs were enacted during the lame duck session (P.L. 111-290, P.L. 111-317 and P.L. 111-322) that extended funding through March 4 of the next session.
In the first months of the 112th Congress, three additional CRs (P.L. 112-4, enacted on March 2, 2011; P.L. 112-6, enacted on March 18, 2011; P.L. 112-8, enacted on April 9, 2011) provided further stop-gap funding. Funding for the remainder of FY2011 was provided for all but one of the regular appropriations acts through the full-year CR in Division B of the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-10, enacted on April 15, 2011).
|
112th Congress
|
2012 November 9-January 3 (2013)
Regular Appropriations Acts [none]
None of the 12 regular appropriations bills had been enacted before the pre-election recess.
None of the regular appropriations bills was enacted during the 2012 lame duck session.
FY2013 appropriations were ultimately provided in the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013 (P.L. 113-6; March 26, 2013).
|
Continuing Appropriations Acts [none]
A CR (P.L. 112-175) was enacted on September 28, 2012, that extended funding through March 27, 2013.
No CRs were enacted during the lame duck session.
The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013 (P.L. 113-6) was enacted on March 26, 2013. Division F of the act, entitled "the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act," provided budget authority that covered seven regular appropriations bills; the texts of the other five regular appropriations acts were contained in Divisions A through E of P.L. 113-6.
|
113th Congress
|
2012 November 9-January 3 (2013)
Regular Appropriations Acts
None of the 12 regular appropriations bills had been enacted before the pre-election recess.
Eleven of the 12 regular appropriations acts were enacted during the lame duck session as part of the "Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015" (P.L. 113-235) on December 16, 2014.
The remaining regular appropriations measure—the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act (P.L. 114-4)—was enacted on March 4, 2015.
|
Continuing Appropriations Acts
|
A CR (P.L. 113-164) was enacted on September 19, 2014, that extended funding through December 11, 2014.
During the lame duck session, two additional CRs (P.L. 113-202, December 12, 2014; and P.L. 113-203, December 13, 2014) were enacted during the lame duck session to provide short-term appropriations until the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act could be enacted. The consolidated act also contained a CR that provided stop-gap appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through February 27, 2015.
After the lame duck session, a further CR (P.L. 114-3) was enacted to extend funding for DHS through March 6, 2015, to allow time for DHS regular appropriations to be completed.
|
Sources: ; March 11, 2009).
Continuing Appropriations
Acts
[none]
Continuing Appropriations Acts. One continuing appropriations act was enacted into law before the lameduck session began that extended appropriations through March 6, 2009 (P.L. 110-329).
Sources: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service from information provided in the Legislative Information System and the Status Table of Appropriations for various
fiscal years at the CRS website (http://www.crs.gov/products/appropriations/appover.shtml
).
a.
).
a.
The starting and ending dates refer to the first date and the last date that the House, the Senate, or both were in session after
election dayElection Day (the Tuesday after the first
Monday in November). In 2002, the House and Senate stayed in session, rather than adjourning prior to the election and then reconvening; November 7 was the first
day of session after
election dayElection Day, which was November 5 that year. In 2006, the Senate adjourned sine die after the House
, but not until after 4:00 in the morning on
December 9.
b.
b.
In 2000, the House and Senate completed action on five regular appropriations acts for FY2001 during the lame
- duck session, but four of them were signed into law on
December 21, six days after the session had ended. For purposes of this
memorandumreport, all five acts are regarded as having been enacted during the lame
- duck session.
c.
In 2002, the continuing appropriations act
c.
In 2002, the CR for FY2003 considered during the lame
- duck session was enacted
into law on November 23, the day after the session ended.
For purposes of this
memorandum, the continuing appropriations actreport, the CR is considered to have been enacted during the lame
- duck session.
d.
The
d.
During the 109th Congress, covering 2005 and 2006, the number of regular appropriations acts was
changedreduced from 13 to 11
during the 109th Congress as a result ofdue to reorganization of the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees. This number was again changed from 11 to 12 in the 110th Congress due to the further reorganization of the Appropriations Committees that occurred
in both chambers Committees. At the beginning of the 110th Congress, a further reorganization of the appropriations subcommittees took effect, which resulted in an increase in the number of annual appropriations acts to 12. For further information, see CRS Report RL31572, Appropriations Subcommittee Structure: History of Changes from 1920
-2007, by James V. Saturno.
CRS-14
Annual Appropriations Acts: Consideration During Lame-Duck Sessions
Author Contact Information
Jessica Tollestrup
Analyst on Congress and the Legislative Process
jtollestrup@crs.loc.gov, 7-0941
Acknowledgments
to 2015, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].
Author Contact Information
[author name scrubbed], Specialist on Congress and the Legislative Process
([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])
Acknowledgments
The original version of this report was written by
Robert Keith[author name scrubbed], formerly a Specialist in American National
Government at CRS. The listed author has revised and updated this report and is available to respond to
inquiries on the subject.
Congressional Research Service
15
Footnotes
1.
|
Regular appropriations bills may be enacted as freestanding legislative vehicles or as part of an omnibus appropriations act. For further information on the latter, see CRS Report RL32473, Omnibus Appropriations Acts: Overview of Recent Practices, by [author name scrubbed]. In addition, annual appropriations are sometimes provided by a full-year CR that funds (or "covers") the activities that would normally be funded in a regular appropriations act. For further information, see CRS Report R42647, Continuing Resolutions: Overview of Components and Recent Practices, by [author name scrubbed].
|
2.
|
No such session occurred in 1996 during the 104th Congress.
|
3.
|
Section 2 of the 20th Amendment states: "The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day." See "Constitution Annotated" on the CRS website at http://www.crs.gov/products/conan/WC01001.shtml.
|
4.
|
CRS Report RL33677, Lame Duck Sessions of Congress, 1935-2012 (74th-112th Congresses), by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].
|
5.
|
For further information on the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, see CRS Report R42884, The "Fiscal Cliff" and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, coordinated by [author name scrubbed].
|
6.
|
See CRS Report RL33677, Lame Duck Sessions of Congress, 1935-2012 (74th-112th Congresses), by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]. According to the report, "[t]he possibility of a lame duck session of Congress in the modern sense began in 1935, when the 20th Amendment to the Constitution took effect."
|
7.
|
Although initial consideration of appropriations legislation in the two chambers differed in both the number and substance of the appropriations acts, the final acts that were agreed to numbered 11. See CRS Report RL31572, Appropriations Subcommittee Structure: History of Changes from 1920 to 2015, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].
|
8.
|
Ibid.
|
9.
|
In 2000, the House and Senate completed action on five regular appropriations acts for FY2001 during the lame duck session, but four of them were signed into law on December 21, six days after the session had ended. For purposes of this report, all five acts are regarded as having been enacted during the lame duck session.
|
10.
|
For a more detailed discussion of this topic, see CRS Report R42647, Continuing Resolutions: Overview of Components and Recent Practices, by [author name scrubbed].
|
11.
|
In 2002, the CR for FY2003 considered during the lame duck session was enacted on November 23, the day after the session ended. For purposes of this report, the CR is considered to have been enacted during the lame duck session.
|
12.
|
The House and Senate completed action on five regular appropriations acts for FY2001 during the lame duck session, but four of them were signed into law on December 21, 2000, six days after the session had ended. For purposes of this report, all five acts are regarded as having been enacted during the lame duck session.
|
13.
|
The CR was considered during the lame duck session but was enacted on November 23, the day after the session ended. For purposes of this report, the CR is considered to have been enacted during the lame-duck session.
|
14.
|
The House recessed on October 3, 2008. The Senate held pro forma sessions through the beginning of the lame duck session on November 19, 2008.
|