Appropriations
Every fiscal year, Congress carries out the annual appropriations process where we decide how we are going to allocate funding for federal programs.
To help ensure this legislation meets the needs of Virginians, my office accepts programmatic and Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) requests. Please note that CDS and programmatic requests are different and require a different application and review process.
- Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS): CDS requests fund a specific community project proposed by nonprofit organizations, local governments or state agencies. Senator Warner and I accept CDS requests jointly. An example of a CDS request would be a Virginia nonprofit organization requesting $1,000,000 to support a violence prevention program in Richmond.
- Programmatic: Programmatic requests fund an authorized federal program or agency at a specific level. Members can also request bill or report language directing a federal agency to implement a program in a specific way. Senator Warner and I do not consider these requests jointly. An example of a programmatic request would be a Virginia organization requesting an increase in funding for a program they benefit from like the Department of Justice’s Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative.
Senator Kaine is no longer accepting requests for Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27). The deadline for requests was on Monday, March 23, 2026, at 9 AM ET.
If you have questions about the appropriations process, please contact my office at Kaine_Approps@kaine.senate.gov. If you are interested in receiving updates about the appropriations process, please sign up here and check the box that says “Appropriations & Community Project Funding.”
Thanks,
Tim Kaine