My limited understanding is based on talking with some people I know who are affected by this. But since this fight is over “appropriations”, it is about the actual allocation of money for specific programs. The budget comes first, and that has been passed, so agencies know how much money is in their budget, they just don’t have it.

The anti-deficiency act prevents agencies from exceeding appropriations, or spending money before it has been appropriated. But it says nothing about spending money that has already been appropriated in a later period.

https://www.gao.gov/legal/appropriations-law/resources

So, I assume that organizations that are still spending money are doing it with money from last year’s appropriations that they have saved. Some organizations may have other constraints on how they spend their money that apply to them specifically, but not the anti-deficiency act (as I read it).

It’s not about having the funds…

Every payment is using funds authorized to be spent in fiscal year 2025, being spent in fiscal year 2026.

You know the stories about the military/government buying up a bunch of shit in the end of September? That’s because they can’t use the money in the next fiscal year.

They don’t actually spend every cent because that’s be crazy, but right now we’re coasting off the money in the couch cushions and everytime we use it we break federal law.

Like, there’s about to be as many violations as active duty military, and I can’t help but think Vought is using this to normalize doing away with budgets and using one gigantic slush fund with zero oversight or accountability.

It’s good their getting paid…

But this flagrant disregard for budgets is not a good sign of things to come.