Update From Washington, D.C.
Congress Approve Stopgap Budget, Averting Threat of Government Shutdown
September 30, 2021
With federal spending authority set to expire at midnight tonight, Congress approved a stopgap funding measure (HR 5305) before the deadline. The proposed Continuing Resolution (CR), which is now awaiting President Biden’s signature, will extend current discretionary spending levels through December 3, 2021. The proposed Continuing Resolution (CR), which the Senate advanced earlier today, would extend current discretionary spending levels through December 3, 2021.
The bill also includes several “anomalies” requested by the Biden administration that would adjust the amount of funding available to certain agencies and extend a number of statutory authorities. For example, the legislation would provide $2.5 billion to support services for unaccompanied minors transferred to the Health and Human Services Department, $250 million for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to reduce asylum backlogs and support its refugee program, and more than $247 million for the Transportation Department to maintain the Essential Air Service program in small communities.
In addition, the bill includes $28.6 billion in supplemental funding for disaster recovery assistance, including $10 billion in assistance to farmers to help cover crop losses from droughts, floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters. Another $6.3 billion would be made available to resettle Afghan refugees. The legislation also would provide $238 million for water infrastructure projects. Specifically, this includes $205 million for storage projects – $80 million for Sites Reservoir, $60 million for BF Sisk Dam Raise, $50 million for Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion, and $15 million for Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir.
Notably, HR 5305 would temporarily extend a number of programs that are slated to expire after September 30, including the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The legislation would extend for one year certain authorities of the Bureau of Reclamation, including for emergency drought relief.
It should be noted that the measure omits language that would have suspended the debt limit through December 16, 2022. The provision was initially included in the CR approved by the House last week, but Senate Republicans blocked consideration of the bill in the upper chamber. GOP lawmakers have been united in their opposition to suspending the debt limit, largely in protest of Democrats’ more expansive “human infrastructure” package.
In response to the Senate action, the House on September 29 approved stand-alone legislation to suspend the federal debt limit, but that bill is expected to stall in the Senate. Unless the limit is increased or suspended in the coming weeks, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned that the government could default on its credit obligations as early as October 18.
In addition to the debt limit omission, HR 5305 does not address the pending expiration of surface transportation programs (the FAST Act; PL 114-94). While the House is expected to vote today on the Senate-passed infrastructure package (HR 3684) – which would obviate the need for an extension of highway and transit programs – it’s unclear if the measure will pass, as progressives have threatened to withhold their support unless the legislation is voted on in tandem with the proposed human infrastructure bill. With negotiations on the proposed $3.5 trillion plan still ongoing, it’s unclear how Democratic leaders will move forward with HR 3684.