We've known this was coming, but we can now fairly conclusively say that most of the federal government will be funded by a continuing resolution to avoid a shutdown on October 1st.
Roll Call reported this afternoon that appropriators have reached a deal to fund the government through December 7th, a date that must be familiar by now because that's been the magic date every year for as long as I can remember at this point.
House Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen announced at a meeting of House and Senate conferees on the combined spending bill for Defense, and Labor-Health and Human Services-Education, that the conference report will include a continuing resolution through that date, for departments and agencies not otherwise funded.
“We have reached resolution on all items and completed our work on these bills,” the New Jersey Republican said of the two bills in conference Thursday morning.
Congressional Republican leaders have agreed to hold votes on two spending bills.
One is a clean funding bill for multiple agencies and departments packaged together in a so-called "minibus" that is more or less a continuing resolution it its own right. Funding for defense, health care and education was sandwiched together to protect it from poison pills, protest votes and a possible veto.
The other bill will be an actual continuing resolution that covers everything else not included in the "minibus."
Now, as the headline indicates, Congress will not be voting on the continuing resolution today or tomorrow because they're leaving town. The House was scheduled to leave for recess tomorrow, but members were informed this morning that they can leave tonight.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy made the announcement to members during a closed-door meeting of the House Republican Conference Thursday morning. The news became official with a scheduling update from the California Republican’s office sent shortly after 10 a.m.
“I have informed the members that we will be departing today ... so that members can catch their flights back to their districts,” McCarthy said, noting some members remained in their districts this week.
Congress will not return to Washington until September 25th, meaning a continuing resolution is the only thing they will have time to pass before the fiscal year deadline.
The House was only in session for one day this week. Today.
It's a great job if you can get it.