Congress spends billions on unauthorized programs

In its annual report to lawmakers on appropriations for unauthorized programs, the Congressional Budget Office said Congress appropriated $170.4 billion in fiscal 2005 for programs with lapsed authorizations.

That is up $80 billion from 2002 because of several large authorizations that expired in the last two years, according to the report, which was released Friday.

The $170.4 billion comprises 167 different expired authorization laws, with the largest being programs that authorize veterans medical care, Section 8 housing assistance, NASA and the National Institutes of Health.

For the current fiscal year, about $526 billion has been authorized to be appropriated for programs that expire this year. The lion's share comes from the annual defense authorization law.

Other authorizations that expire this year include Project Bioshield, the Millennium Challenge Fund, the 2000 Older Americans Act and the Children's Health Act, the 2002 Help America Vote Act and the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000.