Cancel unspent stimulus

Provision passed the House, but is tied up in spending negotiations

Updated: Monday, March 28th, 2011 | By Louis Jacobson

During the 2010 campaign, House Republican leaders promised to "move immediately to cancel unspent 'stimulus' funds and block any attempts to extend the timeline for spending 'stimulus' funds."

This promise has not been kept yet, but the GOP majority has made progress toward enacting it.

Language to fulfill the promise was inserted in H.R. 1, the "Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011.” Specifically, a provision in the bill says, "There are hereby rescinded all unobligated balances remaining available as of February 11, 2011, of the discretionary appropriations provided by division A of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 21 of 2009.”

On Feb. 19, 2011, H.R. 1 cleared the House on a largely party line vote, 235-189. Since passage, H.R. 1 has been up in the air, as the House, the Senate and the president have agreed to a series of short-term "continuing resolutions” to keep the government going, rather than approving a more sweeping and longer-term spending bill. The provision on unspent stimulus funds was not included in the continuing resolutions.

Lawmakers will continue to work on a longer term spending bill, under the threat of a government shutdown if legislation is not enacted. That will keep this promise in limbo for an undetermined period of time. But the fact that language to fulfill the promise has already passed the House earns it an In the Works.

Sources:

Text of H.R. 1, the "Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011.”

E-mail interview with Brendan Buck, spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, Mar. 25, 2011