Direct spending

Direct spending is budget authority provided by law other than appropriation acts, entitlement authority, and the food stamp program, as defined by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. \

Direct spending may be temporary or permanent, definite or indefinite (as to amount) but it is an appropriation or other budget authority made available to agencies in an act other than an appropriation act.

Under expired Budget Enforcement Act (BEA) provisions, new direct spending was subject to pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) requirements.

Temporary spending

Temporary spending are items needing a vote from both chambers outside the ordinary budget process, such as wars (like Afghanistan or Iraq), immediate disaster relief assistance (like Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Sandy), and extended unemployment benefits in periods of high unemployment.

Temporary spending maybe for less than one annual budget cycle or extended over several years. Temporary spending is not intended to become a permanent spending obligation of the United States government. Some forms of temporary spending are also referred to as emergency spending, and are usually covered in the supplemental appropriations process.

See also

• Discretionary spending