Gov’t shutdown fears looming

WASHINGTON – Sept. 30 is the end of FY 2018, and Capitol Hill lawmakers could be heading into November’s mid-term elections with a newly adopted federal budget and a sense of pride for finishing the work on time; heading home with another short-term extension (continuing resolution); or stuck in D.C. with a partial government shutdown. Appropriations will be the issue for September’s congressional sessions. Some in party leadership have claimed they are cautiously optimistic they can finish a large part of the work by the Sept. 30 deadline. FY 2019 begins Oct. 1. In the last eight years, Congress has passed one of its 12 annual funding measures on time (VA’s FY-17 budget) and hasn’t finalized all of its appropriations work on time since FY 1997. Senators managed to advance a complicated “minibus,” in August that included money for defense, health and human services, labor, and education that gives those agencies a chance at an on-time budget. Congress sees continuing resolutions as a preferable to another partial government shutdown. Budget jousting has resulted in two short shutdowns this year, but shuttered federal offices for about three weeks in 2013. Staff-level negotiations on spending bills have been ongoing in recent weeks, but lawmakers have made it clear that nothing is going to be finalized until the House returns from its recess next week. Defense appropriations are unlikely to move forward until most domestic spending issues are settled. (Defense News 09/03/18)