September 30, 2015

From: Isaac Brown, Legislative Counsel
Vol. 15:12

With funding for the federal government set to expire at midnight this evening, the House of Representatives passed legislation today that will keep government agencies funded and operating until December 11. The bill matches legislation passed in the Senate earlier this week and is expected to be signed into law by President Obama shortly.

The legislation, known as a continuing resolution (CR), is not a formal budget bill, but extends funding for all federal agencies at their current levels. As a result, the budget for the National Endowment for the Arts will remain at $146 million. It is unclear at this time whether Congress will attempt to pass a formal budget in December, or once again use a CR to keep agencies operating.

Passage of the CR was in doubt for much of the month, as leaders in both chambers struggled with whether to include language that would prohibit funding for Planned Parenthood, language opposed by President Obama and most Democrats. With the passage of this bill, that issue is temporarily tabled, but is expected to remain a key facet of future negotiations.