A version of the Biosecure Act proposal assigns the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) the authority to maintain and update a list of designated foreign adversaries and 'companies of concern' relevant to biotechnology and other sectors.
October 27, 2025
high
policy
Mechanism for identifying and updating entities subject to funding restrictions under the bill.
The Congressional Budget Office in 2025 said the administration could use mandatory funding provided in the 2025 reconciliation act or other sources of mandatory funding to continue activities financed by direct appropriations at federal agencies, and that some Department of Defense funds could be used to pay active-duty personnel during a shutdown, thereby reducing the number of excepted workers who would receive delayed compensation; the CBO cited the Department of Defense, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Office of Management and Budget as agencies that received specific funds under the law.
October 11, 2025
high
policy
CBO explanation of potential funding authorities and agency-specific mandatory funds created by the 2025 reconciliation legislation that could be used during a lapse in annual appropriations.
U.S. presidents have historically cited precedents dating back to President George Washington to justify reallocating or using federal funds for military purposes without explicit congressional appropriation, according to historical arguments referenced by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
October 11, 2025
medium
temporal
Executive-branch legal and budget offices sometimes invoke historical presidential precedents to justify certain uses of federal funds absent new congressional appropriations.
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget reported in 2023 that the annual cost of operating federal buildings classified as 'underutilized' was $81.346 million.
January 01, 2023
high
statistical
Operating costs for federal buildings designated as underutilized according to OMB.
A 2023 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) estimate put the annual cost of operating federal buildings classified as 'underutilized' at $81.346 million.
January 01, 2023
high
statistical
OMB estimate of yearly operating costs for underutilized federal properties.
The Office of Management and Budget issues guidance during federal government funding lapses that determines which programs continue to operate and which federal employees are paid, furloughed, or subject to workforce reductions.
high
temporal
Role of OMB in directing agency operations during lapses in annual appropriations
Agency leaders can designate certain positions as 'excepted' to continue work during a lapse in appropriations, subject to department contingency plans and guidance from the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and legal constraints on activities that may lawfully continue during a shutdown.
high
temporal
Framework governing which federal positions may continue operating during funding lapses.