A Timeline of Dysfunctional Government Funding - November 2019 Edition
How do you feel about Congress's reliance on short-term funding bills?
Before lawmakers departed the Capitol last week for their Thanksgiving recess, they resorted to passing yet another stopgap funding bill to avoid a government shutdown while negotiators struggle to find compromise. If recent history is any indication, they'll likely face the same dilemma next month when funding is set to expire before Congress takes its Christmas recess.
It’s been a long time — more than 20 years — since Congress last passed all of the 12 regular appropriations bills that are supposed to be enacted before the start of the new fiscal year each October 1st. In fact, Congress has only accomplished that task four times since fiscal year 1977.
As a result, Congress has relied on ”omnibus” appropriations bills which combine all 12 into one piece of legislation, and continuing resolutions to fill in the gaps between the passage of the lengthier omnibus bills (sometimes for only a few days).
To illustrate how erratic the appropriations process has been in recent years, we’ve chronicled the bills that have funded the federal government since the 114th Congress began in January 2015 below.
H.R. 3055: Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020, and Further Health Extenders Act of 2019 (November 22, 2019 - December 20, 2019)
H.R. 4378: Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020, and Health Extenders Act of 2019 (October 1, 2019 - November 21, 2019)
H.J.Res. 31: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (February 16, 2019 - September 30, 2019)
H.J.Res. 28: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019 (January 25, 2019 - February 15, 2019)
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN (December 21, 2018 - January 25, 2019)
H.J.Res. 143: Making Further Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2019 (December 8, 2018 - December 21, 2018)
H.R. 6157: Dept. of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019 (October 1, 2018 - December 7, 2018)
H.R. 1625: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (March 22, 2018 - September 30, 2018)
H.R. 1892: Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (February 9, 2018 - March 23, 2018)
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN (Early morning hours of February 9, 2018)
H.R. 195: Federal Register Printing Savings Act (January 23, 2018 - February 8, 2018)
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN (January 20, 2018 - January 22, 2018)
H.R. 1370: CHIP and Public Health Funding Extension Act (December 23, 2017 - January 19, 2018)
H.J.Res. 123: Making Further Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018 (December 9, 2017 - December 22, 2017)
H.R. 601: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (September 8, 2017 - December 8, 2017)
H.R. 244: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (May 4, 2017 - September 30, 2017)
H.J.Res. 99: Continued Health Benefits for Miners Act (April 27, 2017 - May 5, 2017)
H.R. 2028: Continued Health Benefits for Miners Act (December 9, 2016 - April 28, 2017)
H.R. 5325: Continuing Appropriations Act, 2017 (September 28, 2016 - December 9, 2016)
H.R. 2029: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (December 18, 2015 - September 30, 2016)
H.J.Res. 78: Making Further Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2016 (December 16, 2015 - December 22, 2015)
H.R. 2250: Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2016 (December 11, 2015 - December 16, 2015)
H.R. 719: Continuing Appropriations Act, 2016 (September 30, 2015 - December 11, 2015)
H.R. 83: Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (December 16, 2014 - September 30, 2015)
Tell your reps about how you think the process of funding the government is functioning and share your thoughts below!
— Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: U.S. Capitol via Flickr / Public Domain)
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