This report, Following the Money: The Bush Administration FY03 Budget Request and Current Funding for Selected Defense, State, and Energy Department Programs, analyzes key areas of both the Bush Administration’s fiscal year 2003 (FY03) and the FY02 (March) supplemental request.
The FY02 budget request, which Congress will consider in the next few weeks, is a $27 billion emergency supplemental request primarily for the war on terrorism, continued operations in Afghanistan, additional homeland security efforts, and economic recovery. With regards to the Administration’s FY03 budget requests, the report focuses specifically on defense, homeland security, missile defense, nuclear and nonproliferation programs, U.N. funding and peacekeeping. The Administration’s budget contains many proposals that are straightforward, while others pose a striking shift from past budgets and the Administration’s publicly stated goals. The budget also reflects new priorities since September 11 and the war on terrorism. Congress will use this proposal to write its own FY03 blueprint for the budget, grapple with spending priorities, and appropriate funds before the FY03 begins October 1.