	Most Recent Developments

During the first session of the 110 th Congress, the Administration requested $196.5 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008, including $189.3 billion for military operations, $6.9 billion for international affairs, and $325 million for other purposes. Through the end of December, 2007, Congress had approved $86.8 billion of the total requested for defense and about $1.5 billion of the amount requested for international affairs. Congress began to consider FY2008 supplemental appropriations in earnest in the fall of 2007. Review of Congressional Action on FY2008 Supplemental Appropriations Through December 2007

		Administration Request

The Administration submitted requests for FY2008 emergency supplemental appropriations in three blocks. The bill provided $99.5 billion for the Department of Defense, $6.1 billion for international affairs, and $14.5 billion for domestic programs (for a full discussion, see CRS Report RL33900, FY2007 Supplemental Appropriations for Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Other Purposes , coordinated by [author name scrubbed], updated July 2, 2007). At the end of September, Congress included $5.2 billion in emergency funding for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles (most of the mount requested in July) in a provision attached to the first FY2008 continuing resolution, H.J.Res. 52 , P.L. 110-92 , that the President signed on September 29, 2007. On November 8, 2007, the House and Senate approved a conference agreement on the FY2008 defense appropriations bill, H.R. 110-116 , on November 13. The bill also provided an additional $11.6 billion in emergency funding for MRAP vehicles. 2340 , a substitute offered by Senator McConnell, to provide $70 billion for the Defense Department without requiring withdrawal from Iraq. 110-161 , on December 26, 2007. These amounts were in addition to $27.4 billion for the Army and $4.8 billion for the Marine Corps in the regular FY2008 Defense Appropriations Act ( P.L. Supplemental Funding for International Affairs in the Final Consolidated Appropriations Bill

The FY2008 state department, foreign operations appropriations bill is one of 11 regular FY2008 appropriations bills that were incorporated into the consolidated appropriations act, H.R. 2764 , P.L. This leaves $5.4 billion of the request still to be considered. Iraq Policy Provisions in the House-Passed Bridge Fund, H.R. 4156 –
Stated the sense of Congress that the war in Iraq should end as quickly and safely as possible and troops brought home; Extended prohibitions on the use of torture by Defense Department personnel to other government agencies; Prohibited the use of funds in the bill to deploy any unit abroad unless the President certifies 15 days in advance that the unit is "fully mission capable;" Required the President within 30 days to begin an immediate and orderly redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq; Stated that the withdrawal from Iraq should be accompanied by a comprehensive strategy to work with neighbors and the international community to bring stability to Iraq; Set December 15, 2008, as a goal for completing the transition of U.S. armed forces to a limited presence, though the date is not a firm deadline; Restricted missions after the transition to protecting U.S. facilities, armed forces, and civilians; providing limited training and related assistance to Iraqi security forces; and engaging in targeted counter-terrorism operations against al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations in Iraq; Required quarterly reports beginning February 1, 2008, on plans to achieve the transition of the U.S. mission in Iraq; Said that congressional consideration of additional funding shall not begin until the first quarterly report on the transition of U.S. forces is submitted; Required by February 15, 2008, a comprehensive regional stability plan for the Middle East; Required additional quarterly reports, beginning on January 15, 2008 and continuing through the remainder of the fiscal year, that would establish performance measures for military and political stability in Iraq and specify a timetable for achieving the goals. By a voter of 24-71, with 60 votes required, the Senate refused to approve the measure, and it was then withdrawn. The request included $141.7 billion for military operations abroad, $3.3 billion in emergency funds for international affairs programs, and $325 million in emergency funding for other agencies, including the Department of Energy for counter-proliferation programs, the Coast Guard, and the Department of Justice. 3222 , P.L.
During the 1st session of the 110th Congress, in calendar year 2007, the Administration requested emergency FY2008 supplemental appropriations of $196.5 billion to cover costs of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, for war-related and other international affairs programs, and for some other activities. The request included $189.3 billion for the Department of Defense, $6.9 billion for international affairs, and $325 million for other agencies.
Through the end of December 2007, Congress provided $86.8 billion in emergency funds for the Defense Department and $2.4 billion for international affairs, though only $1.5 billion of that is now being counted against the Administration request. These amounts were included in threebills –
The first FY2008 continuing resolution, H.J.Res. 52, P.L. 110-92, enacted on September 29, 2007, included $5.2 billion in emergency funding for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles; The regular FY2008 defense appropriations act, H.R. 3222, P.L. 110-116, enacted on November 13, 2007, provided $11.6 billion more in emergency funding for MRAPs; The FY2008 consolidated appropriations act, H.R. 2764, P.L. 110-161, enacted on December 26, 2007, included $70 billion in emergency funding for defense and $2.4 billion for international affairs, of which $1.5 billion is allocated to requested programs.
Approval of these measures left unresolved the status of $102.5 billion in FY2008 emergency funding for the Department of Defense, $5.4 billion for international affairs, and somewhat under $300 million for other programs. Congress is expected to consider these amounts in a second FY2008 supplemental appropriations bill in the spring of 2008. For congressional action on that measure, see CRS Report RL34451, FY2008 Spring Supplemental Appropriations and FY2009 Bridge Appropriations for Military Operations, International Affairs, and Other Purposes (P.L. 110-252), by [author name scrubbed] et al.
Through the fall of 2007, congressional action on supplemental FY2008 funding was embroiled in the ongoing debate over Iraq policy. Initially, in mid-November, the House approved a bill, H.R. 4156, providing $50 billion for military operations, but the bill required that troop withdrawals from Iraq begin within sixty days and that the President prepare a plan for withdrawing most troops by December 2008. That bill failed when the Senate refused to close debate. In mid-December, the initial House-passed consolidated appropriations bill included $31 billion for military operations, but prohibited use those funds in Iraq except for force protection. The Senate took up that bill and substituted a measure providing $70 billion without conditions. The House then approved the Senate bill, which became law.
This CRS report reviews congressional action on FY2008 supplemental appropriations through December 2007. It will not be updated.