Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012

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Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012: a simple overview

What it is
- A law passed by the 112th Congress to fund military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and related agencies for fiscal year 2012, plus some additional VA funding for the next year.
- It was enacted on December 23, 2011 as Public Law 112-74.

Key funding and totals
- Non-emergency discretionary spending for FY 2012: about $72.5 billion, down about $1.2 billion from FY 2011.
- VA funding:
- Total VA funding included about $69.5 billion in mandatory spending (spending that isn’t counted against annual appropriations).
- An additional $52.5 billion in advance appropriations for VA medical programs for FY 2013 (up about 4% from FY 2012’s advance funding).
- When you add the VA mandatory spending and advance appropriations, VA funding for the year was around $142 billion. The act also helped set the overall discretionary budget authority for FY 2012 at about $1.019 trillion, roughly $30 billion less than FY 2011.
- DoD and military construction:
- About $14 billion for DoD military construction, family housing, and base realignment.
- $1.65 billion for family housing maintenance and construction.
- $273 million for NATO Security Investment Program (financing facilities and systems to support NATO commands and operations).
- About $582 million for re-stationing overseas personnel and base closures.

VA program details
- VA’s Veterans Benefits Administration received a total of about $69.5 billion in mandatory spending plus related discretionary funding.
- VA Health Administration received about $53 billion, with medical services funded through prior-year advance appropriations and additional current-year funding.
- VA IT needs were funded at about $3 billion, and VA operating expenses were set at around $2.44 billion, divided into two accounts (benefits administration and general administration).
- The act also funded major VA construction projects and other VA construction projects, plus $109 million for the VA Office of Inspector General.

Other provisions and restrictions
- Labor and procurement: required contractors to use E-Verify to check workers’ eligibility to work in the United States.
- Guantanamo Bay: prohibited funding to build or renovate housing for detainees in the continental United States.
- Steel and labor: restricted use of steel procurement to U.S. producers and limited certain labor practices on large construction projects.
- Weldon Amendment: allows health care providers and facilities to refuse abortion-related services in certain cases.
- USPS issue: the wording around military construction and related funding raised questions for the Postal Service about whether it could affect decisions on Saturday mail delivery.

Notable context
- The act drew public attention in 2013 due to a United Nations-related whistleblower case.
- It represents a major funding package for the year, with a strong emphasis on veterans’ benefits and health care, military construction, and related defense needs.