Policy Basics
Non-Defense Discretionary Programs
Non-defense discretionary (NDD) programs comprise domestic and international programs outside of national defense that Congress funds on an annual basis. These programs are called “discretionary” because policymakers have discretion to decide their funding levels each year through the appropriations process — in contrast to “mandatory” or “entitlement” programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, where the law governing the program and the benefits it provides determines its spending.