To avoid a federal government shut down, Congress must pass this week a Continuing
Resolution (CR) appropriations bill by the end of Friday, September 30, 2016, which is the
close of the fiscal year (FY) 2016. The House Appropriations Committee has released its
version of a CR which would fund the government through the end of December 9, 2016. It
contains $1.1 billion to fight the Zika virus, and full FY 2017 funding for Military Construction
and Veterans Affairs. It also includes $500 million for aid to recent flood victims in
Louisiana.
The Senate is expected to move a similar version of a CR as soon as tomorrow, Tuesday,
September 27, but Democrats are insisting inclusion of funding for Flint, MI, to aid in the
rebuilding of the city’s water system as a result of lead contamination. This represents a
potential stumbling block, but most observers believe a CR will be passed by the end of the
week.
This means Congress will return for a lame duck session following the election to write
either an FY 2017 Omnibus Appropriations bill funding the entire federal government
through the end of FY 2017 (Sept 30, 2017), or pass individual agency appropriations bills.
The former is the likely outcome, unless Congress decides to write yet another CR
extending funding to the spring of next year.
Whenever Congress passes permanent FY 2017 funding for the Department of Homeland
Security, AFG and SAFER are each likely to be funded at levels between $340 million and
$345 million, which are the respective levels contained in the Senate and House
appropriations committee bills.
We will keep you updated on futher developments.

If you have any questions, please contact GAC Co-chairs John Granby at
[email protected]; Lee Morris at [email protected]; Joe Mirabile at
[email protected]; or GAC Sr. Advisor Dave Gatton at [email protected].