Congress remains at an impasse over how to fund the federal government for FY18, creating the possibility of a government shutdown when the current stopgap funding measure, known as a continuing resolution (CR), expires on December 8. Congress has failed to enact any of the 12 federal spending bills for FY18, including those that fund affordable housing and community development. Lawmakers have little time to pass a new CR before the holiday recess.
A CR carries forward funding levels from the previous year. The question at hand is how long any new CR will last and what impact it will have on Congress’s ability to enact final FY18 spending bills.