LogFAQs > #913519572

Vlado posted...

Congress votes on the budget, but once it's approved, the president can allocate it as he sees fit.

That is literally not how it works. Congressional budgets are approved with itemization of what goes where. It's why when he approves $716 billion for the military, it's not a nebulous amount he gets to pick and choose what goes where. Its allocated to various departments for various projects, payment of soldiers, etc.

The Executive Branch may not spend a dime without Congress giving it permission. While appropriations bills largely skip the programmatic details, apart from directing large-scale programs like aircraft and ships, the National Defense Authorization Act includes detailed funding tables specifying exactly how the Pentagon is to use the appropriations for each account (personnel, procurement, operations and maintenance, etc.).

Congress doesnt pull this information out of the air; its largely built from the DODs detailed budget justification documents that accompany the presidents budget submission each February. These documents are based on each programs Program Objective Memorandum, the POM, which lays out the money required for the next five years. Budget justification documents, especially for the procurement accounts, include very detailed information on how programs will use their dollars, and when.

So for once just admit you're wrong and don't know what you're talking about.
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TheRock ~ I had a name, my father called me Blues.