Congress Puts Off Decisions on Spending, Debt Limit; Senate May Begin Working Through Appropriations Bills

Lawmakers kicked off fiscal year (FY) 2022 by enacting temporary measures to keep the government functioning while negotiations continue: a continuing resolution (CR) to fund government until December 3 and a short-term increase on the federal borrowing limit to avoid default, with plans to revisit the debt limit in December. Congressional leaders have also yet to make measurable progress on a spending package through the reconciliation process (see previous coverage of the House’s proposals). With immediate crises resolved until December, the Senate Appropriations Committee may begin to work through proposals for FY 2022 regular appropriations bills. The Senate committee has so far only completed work on three of its 12 annual appropriations bills, while the House Appropriations Committee passed all of theirs over the summer (see COSSA’s analysis). You can follow all of COSSA’s coverage of the FY 2022 appropriations process here.