The House and Senate on Thursday passed a Continuing Resolution to temporarily fund the government at current levels through February 18, 2022 as negotiations continue on full funding bills for FY2022.
The House first passed the bill on a 221-212 vote and sent it to the Senate, where the bill passed 69-28 later in the evening.
The bill extends government funding at current levels, which were first established in the full FY2021 appropriations bills signed last year by then-President Trump.
The bill includes a few so-called “anomalies,” or other provisions that amend current funding levels. The anomalies include $7 billion in emergency funds for continued assistance to resettle Afghan refugees in the U.S., $1.6 billion in new funding designed to provide care for unaccompanied children who crossed the border and are in U.S. custody, funds to temporarily boost funding for the Indian Health Service, and an extension of a waiver expiring on December 31 that allows individuals in assisted living facilities to access food stamp benefits. The bill includes a few other minor anomalies.
The bill does not include an extension of the federal debt ceiling or a waiver to statutory “pay-as-you-go” – or “paygo” – rules that would trigger spending cuts in January, such as cutting four percent from Medicare reimbursements, cuts to some crop insurance programs, and large cuts to other minor federal spending programs. The paygo waiver cannot be included in a reconciliation bill based on the Senate rules, but could be included in an annual defense policy bill that the Senate aims to move before the end of the year.
As of now, the House has passed all of its individual appropriations bills. The Senate has passed three of its 12 appropriations bills, including one that funds the USDA, out of committees, but none have passed the floor. Both chambers will have to pass bills on the floor, go to conference to resolve differences, and pass identical bills to send to President Biden in order to fund the government for the full year.
