An update on funding the government
Get the latest intel on Washington's fiscal woes.
CloseAs Congress was unable to fund the government on a year long basis before the start of the current fiscal year (October 1), they were forced to continuing funding the government through a stopgap funding bill called a Continuing Resolution (CR). The current CR expires on Friday at midnight.
Today, the House is expected to consider a minibus conference report – this takes three of the 12 regular year long appropriation bills and wraps them into one bill. Included in this minibus bill are Agriculture, Commerce/Justice/Science, and Transportation/HUD. For the nine remaining year long spending bills, Congress has decided to fund them by inserting another temporary CR into the minibus, which would expire on December 16.
The specifics of the agreement are as follows:
1) $137 billion for Agriculture spending. Of this amount, $117 billion is mandatory spending – money Congress is required to spend. Although mandatory spending is usually funded outside of the yearly appropriations process, this is not always the case. The agriculture bill includes $19.8 billion in non-emergency discretionary spending (spending that isn’t automatic) – $387 million less than last fiscal year. The bill also includes $367 million in emergency disaster spending. Emergency spending is considered separate and isn’t used when comparing to last year’s spending.
2) $60.7 billion for Commerce/Justice/Science for non-emergency funding, $391 million less than last fiscal year. The bill also includes $200 million in emergency disaster spending. Again, emergency disaster spending is considered separate spending and isn’t used when comparing to last year’s spending.
3) $109.4 billion for non-emergency Transportation/HUD funding. Of this amount, $55.6 billion is discretionary spending. This discretionary amount is $183 million more than the last fiscal year. Additionally, $1.7 billion is included for emergency disaster spending. Again, emergency disaster spending is considered separate spending and isn’t used when comparing to last year’s spending.
For the nine other agencies, the last CR is extended through December 16. Hey, we know, this stuff gets confusing… that’s why we suggest you check out our Appropriations Briefing Book.
Source: CQ. Subscription Required.
If the 535 critters that we send to Congress just can’t seem to find it in their abilities to “balance the checkbook”, then, we need to retire them and find some qualified replacements as soon as practically possible.
This means that we need to place in office people who have to live within their own means of support, by the fruits of their own labors and wit, and, who can “balance the checkbook” of government.
Regardless of political party affiliation, we should look for candidates that value fiscal responsibility, personal liberty, and freedom above all else. They should be statesmen, not, politicians. They should be able to address their constituents without having to read prewritten scripts from a teleprompter. They should answer from the heart, not, from the political talking points.
And, folks, we better not fail to get this one done and done right this election cycle. Our fate depends on it.
If the 535 critters that we send to Congress just can’t seem to find it in their abilities to “balance the checkbook”, then, we need to retire them and find some qualified replacements as soon as practically possible.
This means that we need to place in office people who have to live within their own means of support, by the fruits of their own labors and wit, and, who can “balance the checkbook” of government.
Regardless of political party affiliation, we should look for candidates that value fiscal responsibility, personal liberty, and freedom above all else. They should be statesmen, not, politicians. They should be able to address their constituents without having to read prewritten scripts from a teleprompter. They should answer from the heart, not, from the political talking points.
And, folks, we better not fail to get this one done and done right this election cycle. Our fate depends on it.
If the 535 critters that we send to Congress just can’t seem to find it in their abilities to “balance the checkbook”, then, we need to retire them and find some qualified replacements as soon as practically possible.
This means that we need to place in office people who have to live within their own means of support, by the fruits of their own labors and wit, and, who can “balance the checkbook” of government.
Regardless of political party affiliation, we should look for candidates that value fiscal responsibility, personal liberty, and freedom above all else. They should be statesmen, not, politicians. They should be able to address their constituents without having to read prewritten scripts from a teleprompter. They should answer from the heart, not, from the political talking points.
And, folks, we better not fail to get this one done and done right this election cycle. Our fate depends on it.