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  • Washington Highlights

    President Signs Two-Week Continuing Resolution, Preventing Partial Government Shutdown

    Tannaz Rasouli, Sr. Director, Public Policy & Strategic Outreach
    Christa Wagner, Manager, Government Relations

    President Trump Dec. 7 signed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to prevent a partial government shutdown and provide appropriations at the fiscal year (FY) 2018 level through Dec. 21 for the seven unfunded appropriations bills.

    Not affected by this CR are the agencies funded by the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill (Labor-HHS), including the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The FY 2019 Labor-HHS bill was previously signed into law on Sept. 28 (P.L. 115-245), including a $2 billion increase for the NIH in FY 2019, as well as modest increases for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Agencies that have not been funded for FY 2019 and remain affected by the CR include the National Science Foundation and the Food and Drug Administration.  

    The House passed the CR by unanimous consent, followed shortly by the Senate’s approval by voice vote. The new measure, H.J.Res.143, replaces the previous CR which was incorporated into the FY 2019 Labor-HHS appropriations bill.

    Also included in the latest CR is the continued authority for the National Flood Insurance Program and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant.

    Congress will need to finalize the remaining seven FY 2019 funding bills or pass another CR by the new deadline of Dec. 21.