Engage · Federal

The federal budget and where you can weigh in

The federal budget funds things Idaho depends on, from national forests and highways to veterans' care and the Idaho National Laboratory. Here is how it gets made and where public input fits.

Two kinds of spending

• Mandatory spending is set by existing law and doesn't need a vote each year. It includes Social Security, Medicare and most of Medicaid. It is the larger share.
• Discretionary spending is decided each year by Congress through appropriations bills. It covers defense and most federal agencies, grants and programs.

The yearly cycle

• The fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30.
• Early in the year, the President sends Congress a budget request. It is a proposal, not law.
• Spring and summer: House and Senate appropriations subcommittees write the annual spending bills, usually 12 of them, each covering a group of agencies.
• By October 1, Congress is supposed to pass them. When it doesn't, it usually passes a continuing resolution to keep funding at current levels. If neither passes, parts of the government shut down.

Where you can weigh in

• Contact your members of Congress about programs you care about, especially in the spring, while appropriations bills are being written.
• Local projects. Members of Congress can request funding for specific community projects in their district or state. Local governments, nonprofits and tribes ask their members, usually in late winter or early spring. Check your members' websites for their process and deadlines.
• Public witness testimony. Some appropriations subcommittees accept written testimony from the public.
• Federal money often flows through the state. Medicaid, highway funds and many grants pass through Idaho agencies, and the Legislature decides whether and how to spend them. See the state budget and how to influence it.

Following the money

The Congressional Budget Office publishes plain-language overviews of the budget, and USAspending.gov shows where federal money goes, down to the county.

Sources

• The federal budget (Congressional Budget Office)
• USAspending.gov
• Congress.gov

Last reviewed November 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check the linked sources before you rely on a deadline.