Biodefense funding: changes from president's budget to congressional appropriations.

S ince 2004, the Center for Biosecurity has tracked and published a series of articles detailing funding for civilian biodefense programs throughout the federal government. Each year, when the President publishes a budget for the federal agencies, the biodefense funding analysis is updated with new appropriations amounts and new programs. Estimated funding for the previous fiscal year is replaced with actual funding amounts; proposed budget amounts for the current fiscal year are replaced with current estimates based on congressional appropriations; and the newly proposed presidential budget for the next fiscal year is added. The annual biodefense funding analysis focuses primarily on the presidential budget for the next fiscal year because it provides an indication of potential funding levels for biodefense programs. However, in reality, the President’s budget is only a guideline indicating the administration’s priorities. Congressional funding does not automatically follow the President’s budget request. In fact, Congress rarely funds programs at exactly the same level requested by the President. Given the complicated federal budget and appropriations process, we decided to further characterize the change in select biodefense program funding levels from the President’s budgets to congressional appropriations each year. For many programs these changes are significant. In some cases Congress has reduced program funding in comparison to the President’s budget, while in other cases Congress has restored funding to programs that were proposed to be reduced or eliminated by the President. This article offers an analysis of how funding amounts proposed in the presidential budget each year differ from actual funds appropriated by Congress for the same fiscal years. The analysis highlights funding level changes in a number of selected civilian biodefense programs.