What does the Anti-Deficiency Act prohibit?

The Anti-Deficiency Act is a key piece of legislation aimed at ensuring that federal agencies maintain fiscal responsibility and compliance with budgetary constraints. It explicitly prohibits agencies from spending more money than what is appropriated to them by Congress. This means that if an agency exceeds its budget appropriations, it is in violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act, which is designed to prevent overspending and to ensure that the federal government operates within its means.

Overspending jeopardizes the federal budget and can lead to larger fiscal deficits, which the Act seeks to avoid. Thus, while the other options presented may involve various aspects of budget management or financial operations within federal agencies, none touches on the core prohibition of the Anti-Deficiency Act as directly as the requirement to refrain from overspending on appropriations.