The White House began rolling out President Obama’s complete Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 budget proposal on May 7, 2009 by releasing what is known as the Appendix, a 1,380 page document that provides line-by-line funding recommendations for all federal programs. The President’s spending blueprint proposes approximately $3.6 trillion in federal spending for FY 2010, including $1.096 trillion in discretionary spending. FY 2010 is the federal fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1, 2009.
Congress has already finalized the FY 2010 Budget Resolution, which sets overall parameters for federal spending and revenues for the upcoming fiscal year. The FY 2010 Budget Resolution provides for $1.086 trillion in discretionary spending for the upcoming fiscal year, slightly less than the $1.096 trillion proposed by the Obama administration. The total amount of discretionary spending provided through the Budget Resolution determines how much funding the chairs of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are able to allocate among the 12 appropriations subcommittees, including the subcommittee charged with writing the FY 2010 Transportation/HUD spending bill.