Congress Hoping to Avert Shutdown
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby said he sees momentum for an agreement between Republicans and Democrats on all 12 appropriation bills that fund government agencies and departments. Last week, the Senate Committee on Appropriations unveiled its Fiscal Year 2021 funding bills, including for Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) and the Department of Agriculture (Agriculture-FDA). Chairman Shelby and ranking member Patrick Leahy have said that about 90% of the omnibus bill has been agreed to, in principle. The Senators, along with House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey and Ranking Member Kay Granger, have been working together on a compromise bill and are close to reaching agreement for each of the 12 agency funding bills. However, given the recent progress in Congress, the White House has stated this week that it cannot guarantee that President Trump would sign the omnibus funding bill. President Trump had previously promised not to sign another omnibus spending bill (sighting his opposition to the 2018 omnibus bill that ultimately did not fund his $2 billion request for building a wall between Mexico and the U.S.).
If there’s no agreement between the White House and Congress on passing the omnibus bill, then Congress would have to pass a continuing resolution before funding for the government runs out on December 11. Fearing a government shutdown, some lawmakers have started to voice their support for the passage of a weeklong continuing resolution, from December 11 to December 18, in order to give Congress additional time to reach a broad funding agreement. With time running out, Congress is preparing to leave town for a week long recess during the Thanksgiving Day holiday.
Biden-Harris Transition Agency Review Teams
The Biden-Harris Transition Team is responsible for ensuring that the transfer of power from the current administration is successful. The efforts of the transition focus on determining implementation options for policy, developing management agendas for federal agencies, and selecting personnel to serve in the administration. Led by President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, and including co-chairs, a diverse advisory board, and respected leaders and staff from across sectors, the transition team is working to prepare President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris on issues of importance prior to taking office. Towards this goal, agency review teams are responsible for understanding the operations of each agency, and the teams have been crafted to ensure they not only reflect the values and priorities of the incoming administration, but reflect the diversity of perspectives crucial for addressing America’s most urgent and complex challenges. The Biden-Harris HUD Transition Agency Review Team is as follows:
|
Name |
Most Recent Employment |
|
Erika Poethig, Team Lead |
Urban Institute |
|
Alejandro Avilés |
UnidosUS |
|
Peggy Bailey |
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities |
|
Laurel Blatchford |
Blue Meridian Partners |
|
Adria Crutchfield |
Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership |
|
Julia Gordon |
National Community Stabilization Trust |
|
Solomon Greene |
Urban Institute |
|
Aras Jizan |
Community Solutions |
|
Monique King-Viehland |
Urban Institute |
|
Becky Koepnick |
State of New York, Homes and Community Renewal |
|
Gail Winifer Laster |
National Credit Union Administration (Retired) |
|
Meaghan McCarthy |
Housing Partnership Network |
|
Gina Metrakas |
New York University, Furman Center |
|
Noel Poyo |
National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders |
|
Antonio Riley |
Self-employed |
|
Margaret Salazar |
State of Oregon Department of Housing and Community Services |
|
Eric Stein |
Center for Community Self-Help |
|
Karen Tamley |
Access Living |
|
Ben J. Winter |
California Community Foundation |
A full list of the Biden-Harris Transition Agency Review Teams, along with key updates and legislative priorities, can be found here.