Which entity has the authority to appropriate funding for the army?

Which entity has the authority to appropriate funding for the army?

• A. Congress
• B. The President
• C. The Department of Defense
• D. The Supreme Court

Answer: (A)

Authority to appropriate funding sits with Congress—the power of the purse. The Constitution gives Congress the responsibility to raise and allocate money for government operations, including the army. It passes appropriations laws that specify how much money the army receives each year. The President can propose the budget and must sign or veto those laws, but cannot set funding levels on his or her own. The Department of Defense uses the funds Congress has appropriated to run programs, but it doesn’t have the authority to create new funding. The Supreme Court handles legal questions, not budgeting decisions. So, Congress is the entity that has the authority to appropriate funding for the army.

Authority to appropriate funding sits with Congress—the power of the purse. The Constitution gives Congress the responsibility to raise and allocate money for government operations, including the army. It passes appropriations laws that specify how much money the army receives each year. The President can propose the budget and must sign or veto those laws, but cannot set funding levels on his or her own. The Department of Defense uses the funds Congress has appropriated to run programs, but it doesn’t have the authority to create new funding. The Supreme Court handles legal questions, not budgeting decisions. So, Congress is the entity that has the authority to appropriate funding for the army.