Congress Delays Funding Bills to Next Year
Congress has decided to postpone, until next year, the final spending decisions for fiscal year 2017 to give President-elect Donald Trump the chance to have the final say.
Faced with the December 9th funding deadline, Congress returned to work this week and was expected continue negotiating omnibus spending package of 11 spending bills, including funding for affordable housing programs in HUD and USDA Rural Development. Lawmakers now plan to vote on a stopgap measure, or continuing resolution, lasting through March 31. Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) announced the decision this week after President-elect Trump’s staff indicated to lawmakers that he would prefer to decide on government spending when he takes over in January 2017.
While Congress will be under Republican control beginning in 2017, finishing the spending bills will require the cooperation of Senate Democrats, because Senate Republicans will not have the 60 votes needed to end filibusters. The delay into next year will likely lead to Congress battle over whether to cut discretionary spending, given President-elect Trump campaigned on raising spending caps for the Defense Dept.and making funding cuts to discretionary programs, like affordable housing programs. NAHMA will continue advocating to regulatory agencies and Congress that increased funding over current spending levels is needed to renew all rental assistance.