FY18 Appropriations Continuing Resolution Expires Next Friday

House Republicans discussed plans to pass another FY18 continuing resolution (CR) funding the government through December 22. And House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) indicated in a newsletter to constituents that the CR will last through 12/22. The current CR expires next Friday, December 8. House conservatives are concerned that a deadline right before Christmas will lead to approval of a massive spending bill. They prefer a one-month CR funding the government through January with some increases for defense spending. Democrats also declined to support the short-term CR because of a series of tweets from the President earlier this week. Democratic leaders boycotted a meeting with the President on Tuesday after he attacked them for being “weak on crime.” Democrats may also be withholding their support for another CR in order to increase their leverage in year-end negotiations, more specifically, to include a solution for “Dreamers” in the final spending deal.

While there isn’t consensus over how long the next CR should be or what should be attached to it, there is agreement that the spending caps set by the 2011 Budget Control Act must be raised to get a bipartisan deal on a final spending package. Republicans have offered a $54B increase in defense spending and a $37B increase in non-defense spending. Democrats are asking for parity between defense and non-defense spending increases.

Status of FY18 Appropriations Spending Bills