Congress Punts Government Funding to Lame Duck Session
Congress narrowly avoided a government shutdown by punting appropriations with the stopgap measure hours before funding expired. The continuing resolution (CR) expires on December 16.
Lawmakers Consider Codifying Federal Management, Information Offices
Lawmakers in both the House of Representatives and the Senate are considering proposals to establish and codify federal offices that will help implement agency policies.
Congress Plans for Continuing Resolution as the White House Issues Funding Requests
Lawmakers are working on a continuing resolution (CR) to extend current government funding levels—which is set to expire on September 30, 2022—through December 16, 2022.
House Passes FY23 Minibus, Silently Endorses 4.6% Pay Raise for Federal Employees
In advance of the August recess, the House of Representatives passed a massive spending package for fiscal year (FY) 2023.
House Appropriations Committee Advances Cluster of FY23 Bills
The House Committee on Appropriations has continued in recent weeks to review fiscal year (FY) 2023 proposed expenditures. As of last Friday, the full committee advanced six bills.
White House Releases Proposed Budget for FY 2023, 4.6% Pay Raise for Federal Employees
President Biden’s $5.8 trillion budget proposal for fiscal year (FY) 2023 aims to give every Cabinet department a budget increase while reducing the federal deficit that has skyrocketed in recent years.
Congress Approves FY22 Appropriations with Six Months Until FY23
The Senate voted 68-31 to pass a $1.5 trillion appropriations package funding the federal government through the rest of fiscal year (FY) 2022, and President Biden signed the bill into law shortly after.
FY 2022 Government Appropriations Possible Before Concurrent CR Expires
Appropriations negotiators in the House have reportedly worked through the night finalizing a $1.5 trillion omnibus package on government funding and are close to an agreement.
Proposed Appropriations Bill Tackles DoD Personnel Management
The 2022 Department of Defense (DoD) appropriations bill from the House Committee on Appropriations addresses a number of concerns surrounding DoD’s recruitment and retention efforts. According to appropriators, the Department of Defense needs help filling employment vacancies surrounding career and technical education (CTE) and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in order to remain competitive with its counterparts in China and Russia.
Appropriations Update: Senate Begins Funding Bill Markups, Security Supplemental Signed into Law
The U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations has begun markups on funding bills for the federal government. Additionally, a bipartisan security supplemental bill was signed into law last week.
House Appropriators Release Draft Funding Bill, Endorse 2.7 Percent Pay Raise
The House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government advanced a draft bill that makes no mention of a federal pay raise for General Schedule employees. Thus, the legislation effectively endorses President Biden’s proposed 2.7 percent average federal civilian pay raise.
Appropriations Update: Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Predicts Continuing Resolutions, Democrats Propose Spending Ceiling
House Democrats proposed a resolution that would allow for $1.5 trillion in discretionary funding for FY 2022. Meanwhile, Republican Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Richard Shelby (R-AL) has predicted stopgap measures will be necessary to avert a shutdown while negotiations continue.
Biden Administration Releases Budget Proposal
On April 9, 2021, President Joe Biden released his administration’s FY 2022 budget proposal, which included funding increases for education, health, and the environment while keeping consistent spending levels on defense and homeland security.
House Democrats Attempt to Bring Back Congressional Earmarks
House Democrats have moved to restart the use of earmarks in an effort to prevent Congressional gridlock and pass legislation more effectively. This move would alter how Congress allocates $1.4 trillion in discretionary funding. Earmarks allow members of Congress to itemize funds in appropriations packages for specific programs and projects in their district. Earmarks have been banned since 2011.
OPM Releases Memo on Recent Pay and Leave-Related Legislative Changes
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released a memo on February 16, 2021 detailing several legislative changes and extensions affecting federal employee pay and certain benefits with the implementation of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.
Congress Passes FY 2021 Government Funding, Coronavirus Relief Legislation
After several continuing resolutions to buy lawmakers additional negotiating time, Congress has passed a $2.3 trillion government funding and coronavirus relief package. As long as President Trump signs the measure by December 28, the federal government will not shut down this year. The package allows for a 1 percent pay raise for civilian federal employees and includes $900 million in coronavirus relief, but the bill has been criticized for failing to take action on controversial federal workforce policies implemented by the Trump administration.
Congress Scrambles to Fund Government as Deadline Looms
With a government shutdown looming at the end of this week, lawmakers are scrambling to fund the government and approve emergency COVID-19 aid. The omnibus government funding bill is expected to also serve as the vehicle for two COVID-19 relief packages.
Congressional Leaders Agree to Vote on One-Week Stopgap Bill
Congressional leaders are trying to give their negotiators more time to reach an agreement on a COVID-19 relief package and the $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill to which pandemic relief would be attached.