On September 26, the Senate moved forward on a bipartisan continuing resolution (CR) that would keep the government open when the current federal fiscal year ends on September 30. The vote puts the Senate on a path to pass the CR later this week.
The Senate legislation will fund the government until November 17. According to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), funding will continue at the same levels as fiscal year 2023. The CR will also provide approximately $6.15 billion in funding for Ukraine and $5.99 billion in disaster relief. The legislation will also temporarily extend the expiring authority of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and a few other expiring programs
If the CR passes the Senate, it will then move to the House where it faces an uphill battle. Many House Republicans came out against the bill citing its lack of border protection policy. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) indicated on Tuesday evening that he would seek a meeting with President Joe Biden to try to work out a deal that would keep the government open while also including language on border protection, and the House may try to vote on their own CR later in the week. However, both the House and Senate must pass the same bill and send it to the President to be signed into law to avoid a government shutdown. Most Washington insiders are not optimistic at this point that this can occur, so agencies are starting to prepare for a potential shutdown. We will have more on that potential and new developments as the week unfolds!
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