Short Term CR through December 16

Posted on December 10, 2015

The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday released a five-day continuing resolution (CR) that would keep federal agencies operative through midnight on December 16^th. The stopgap would provide omnibus negotiators with additional time to strike a deal on a $1.1 trillion agreement to close out fiscal 2016. Both chambers must pass the resolution by the end of the day Friday (December 11^th) to extend current budget authority and avoid government shutdown.

It appears that December 16^th was the shortest possible extension needed to finish appropriations work that’s still left, but the tight turnaround time runs the risk of another stopgap being needed.

Congress is scheduled to adjourn for the year on December 18^th. While lawmakers say funding levels for agencies have largely been settled, a tax extenders package and “40 to 42” policy riders are still being negotiated, including language related to campaign finance, labor regulations, abortion, treatment of Syrian refuges, and environmental regulations.

Members will be in session tomorrow, but not over the weekend. Depending on the progress of negotiations, members will convene on Monday or Tuesday.

December 11th Deadline Looming

Posted on November 30, 2015

The House and Senate return to Washington, DC today after a weeklong break for the Thanksgiving holiday. They are expected to be in session for approximately 15 days, giving them limited time to finish work on an several critical pieces of legislation, including an omnibus bill before the current continuing resolution expires on December 11^th. But that omnibus is still mired down by issues such as addressing any last-minute funding requests for security after the Paris terrorist attack, resolving disputes on potential policy riders such as the treatment of Syrian refugees, and potentially blocking funding for Planned Parenthood.

All of these issues and others related to EPA regulations and water rights have some DC insiders speculating that lawmakers will miss the December 11^th deadline and instead approve another short term CR – possibly running through March 2016 or even the end of the fiscal year on September 30^th.

Before the Thanksgiving recess, congressional aides insisted that they would finish the omnibus by December 11^th. The next few days may determine whether appropriators can still meet that deadline.

FY 2016 Clock is Ticking

Posted on November 23, 2015

Congress is in recess this week for the Thanksgiving holiday, but not all is quiet in Washington, DC. On Tuesday, French President Francois Hollande is visiting the White House in the wake of the Paris Attacks. At the Capitol, the clock is still ticking for deadlines on reauthorizing highway and transit programs and an FY 2016 omnibus spending bill. The coming days will be critical in determining whether appropriators will be able to strike another $1.1 trillion government-wide spending agreement. But national security concerns following last week’s Paris attacks and disagreement over whether or not to allow Syrian refugees to enter the U.S. add another major layer of complication to the negotiations. Lawmakers will return from their Thanksgiving break with just two weeks to reach a deal before the December 11^th deadline when the current continuing resolution runs out. Read more here.

The refugee dispute is only one of a host of controversial policy provisions, known as riders that could doom speedy passage of the omnibus bill. Among the contentious riders yet to be resolved is a fight over whether to strip funding from Planned Parenthood, a measure to block EPA water regulations, the implementation of the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul, and e-cigarette regulations. Even if the fights over riders can be resolved, funding levels remain in doubt, particularly after the Paris attack, which could trigger new spending requests for defense, homeland security or intelligence.

But this week will be quiet with most action taking place behind the scenes as appropriators continue to negotiate a final bill.

Senate Approves Budget Deal, Sends to President to Sign

Posted on October 30, 2015

Just after 3:00am Eastern, the Senate approved the two-year budget deal that the House agreed to on Wednesday without changes. With the deal headed to Obama’s desk — where he’s expected to sign it — lawmakers will now turn their attention to passing either 12 individual spending bills or one large omnibus bill.

House Approves Budget Deal

Posted on October 29, 2015

The House on Wednesday passed a two-year budget package that includes a suspension of the debt ceiling by a vote of 266-167. As has become custom, the measure passed with minimal Republican support: 187 Democrats voted for the measure but only 79 Republicans did. The measure now moves to the Senate, which could take it up as early as tomorrow. The budget measure (HR 1314) would raise discretionary spending caps by $80 billion for defense and domestic spending in both 2016 and 2017, splitting the amount evenly between the two categories.

The Senate is expected to take up the bill quickly, even though GOP presidential candidate and US Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) vowed to filibuster the legislation. Because the underlying legislation that’s being used as a vehicle for the deal has already passed the Senate, the measure could see a vote to cut off debate in the chamber tomorrow. Action could occur over the weekend, though votes might get pushed to Monday, just one day before Treasury Secretary Lew’s November 3^rd debt ceiling deadline.