Just before recessing for the observance of Yom Kippur, the United States Senate approved legislation that will appropriate $854 Billion in funding for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor and Education. The House will return from its Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur recess next week. At that time, it will continue its work on these appropriations in anticipation of the beginning of the Federal Fiscal Year on October 1.
The Senate-passed bill also includes continued funding for some other departments and agencies, which will allow them to operate at current fiscal year levels through December 7. Those provisions would defer debate on issues like a border wall until after November elections.
Congress has already sent a bill funding defense infrastructure, Veterans’ Affairs, Energy, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the legislative branch to the White House. If both that bill and the Defense/HHS/Labor/ Education bill are signed before the end of the month, five of the twelve individual spending categories normally advanced by Congress will be funded for the entire upcoming Federal Fiscal Year.
Both Legislative Chambers continue to work towards passage of a third bill, which would fund the Departments of Agriculture, Interior, and Transportation, as well as programs dealing with Financial Service. We will keep you posted on the specific program allocations, as further information becomes available.
Contact: Jon Moran, Senior Legislative Analyst, jmoran@njslom.org, 609-695-3481, x121.