Congress Works to Avoid Government Shut Down

In order to avoid a government shutdown, Congress must pass, and the President sign, a government funding bill prior to the fiscal year deadline on September 30.

Meanwhile the House Committees have started drafting text for the $3.5T budget resolution, which includes the Better Care Better Jobs Act. The House recently passed a rule on a 220-212 party-line vote, which opened consideration for the budget resolution. The vote also set September 27, 2021 as the deadline for a full House vote on the $1T bipartisan physical infrastructure bill, and opened debate on HR 4. This sets an ambitious timeline to draft and reach agreement on the budget resolution if it is to pass at the same time as the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

Simultaneous passage remains critical as earlier in the month, 10 House Democrats wrote Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill prior to consideration of the budget resolution. Holding only a narrow majority, unity among House Democrats remains necessary for either bill to pass the chamber.