[20010319]RS20008_可自由支配支出限额.pdf

Congressional Research Service ? The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS WebOrder Code RS20008Updated March 19, 2001Discretionary Spending LimitsBill Heniff Jr.Consultant in American National GovernmentGovernment and Finance DivisionDiscretionary spending limits are statutory caps on the level of budget authority andoutlays determined through the annual appropriations process. They were initiallyestablished by the Budget Enforcement Act (BEA) of 1990 (Title XIII of P.L. 101-508)as part of an agreement between Congress and President George Bush to reduce thedeficit. Twice since, they were extended to enforce agreements between Congress andPresident Bill Clinton, most recently to achieve a surplus.Initially, the 1990 BEA created limits for FY1991-FY1993 in three separatediscretionary spending categories: defense, domestic, and international. Also, limits wereestablished for total discretionary spending for FY1994-FY1995. In 1993, Congress andthe President extended the total discretionary spending limits through FY1998. A separatelimit was created subsequently for violent crime reduction spending through FY2000 bythe 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law En