1
See CRS Report RL33110, The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror
Operations Since 9/11, by Amy Belasco, Table 3.
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Order Code RS22455
June 13, 2006
Military Operations: Precedents for Funding
Contingency Operations in Regular or in
Supplemental Appropriations Bills
Stephen Daggett
Specialist in National Defense
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Summary
Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Congress has appropriated $331
billion for military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere. Of that amount, $301
billion, or 91%, has been provided either in supplemental appropriations bills or as
additional “emergency” funding in separate titles of annual defense appropriations acts.
A recurring issue in Congress has been whether funding for ongoing military
operations — such as those in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere — should be provided
in supplemental appropriations bills and in additional “emergency” accounts, or should
instead be considered as part of regular annual defense budget requests.
This report briefly reviews the main precedents, including funding for the Korean
conflict, the Vietnam conflict, the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991, and various smaller
military contingency operations in the 1990s. It will be updated as events warrant.
Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Congress has appropriated,
according to CRS calculations, $331 billion to the Department of Defense (DOD) for
military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere.
1
Congress is now considering an
additional $66 billion for such operations in a pending FY2006 supplemental
appropriations bill (H.R. 4939).
Of the $331 billion provided to date, $301 billion, or 91%, has been provided either
in supplemental appropriations bills or as additional “emergency” funding in separate
titles of annual defense appropriations acts. In all, Congress has approved 9 bills
providing emergency funding for military operations since 9/11. The remaining $30
