Congress has approved, and the President will sign, a Continuing Resolution (CR), HR 2250, which will provide FY 2016 funding for federal agencies from December 12 through December 16, 2015. The previous CR extended through December 11. The Senate approved the stopgap measure on December 10 and the House on December 11. Thus, the threat of a partial government shutdown – the second close call this fiscal year – was averted. The CR would, by and large, provide funding on a pro rata basis at the FY 2015 levels under the authority and conditions of the FY 2015 Appropriations Act. See our General Memorandum 15-071 (September 30, 2015) regarding the prior CR.
This five-day CR is intended to give the House and Senate still more time to work out their disagreements on many proposed policy riders, most of which are being promoted by Republican members. Democrats contend that they have compromised on the overall funding level and will not accept “poison pill” riders. Among the proposed policy riders are ones that would: defund Planned Parenthood; place further restrictions on immigrants coming to the U.S. from Syria and Iraq; end the oil export embargo; undo some of the Dodd-Frank financial regulations; undo some EPA regulations regarding clean water and the scope of which waters are under EPA/Corps of Engineers jurisdiction; restrict the National Labor Relations Board; and loosen the campaign contributions restrictions on political parties. Another issue in the mix is the House Interior Appropriations report language which would prohibit federal funding to be spent to implement the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ new federal recognition regulations.
We will continue to follow and report on FY 2016 appropriations developments.
