United States Senate Committee on Appropriations The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations is a standing committee of the United States S It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the S The Senate Appropriations Committee is the largest committee in the US Senate， consisting of 30 Its role is defined by the US Constitution， which requires "appropriations made by law" prior to the expenditure of any money from the Treasury， and is therefore one of the most powerful committees in the S The committee was first organized on March 6， 1867， when power over appropriations was taken out of the hands of the Finance CThe appropriations processThe federal budget is divided into two main categories: discretionary spending and mandatory Each appropriations subcommittee develops a draft appropriations bill covering each agency under its jurisdiction based on the Congressional Budget Resolution， which is drafted by an analogous Senate Budget Each subcommittee must adhere to the spending limits set by the budget resolution and allocations set by the full Appropriations Committee， though the full Senate may vote to waive those limits if 60 senators vote to do The committee also reviews supplemental spending bills (covering unforeseen or emergency expenses not previously budgeted)Each appropriations bill must be passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the president prior to the start of the federal fiscal year， October If that target is not met， as has been common in recent years， the committee drafts a continuing resolution， which is then approved by Congress and signed by the President to keep the federal government operating until the individual bills are
