Measure to Extend Funding Deadline Enacted, Averting Shutdown
The Senate on Friday afternoon passed a measure that extends the government funding deadline through December 18, as congressional leaders have been unable to come to an agreement on a year-end spending bill.
The measure, passed Wednesday by the House, and signed by President Donald Trump on December 11 following the Senate's action, gives Congress an additional week to pass a massive appropriations bill that must include the fiscal year 2021 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H) spending bill, a version of which passed the House, and funds programs housed under the Department of Education.
If negotiations over the spending bill and additional aid to address the ongoing pandemic continue to stall, Congress could attempt to pass another short-term funding bill to take negotiations into the new year and be considered at the outset of President-elect Joe Biden’s administration.
For more information on the federal budget process, see NASFAA’s Federal Budget and Appropriations page and NASFAA’s budget FAQs.
Publication Date: 12/14/2020
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