Government Funding Extended Three More Weeks
As expected, the House and Senate have passed another Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government operating. This one is for three weeks, meaning that agencies can keep the lights on until April 8. The President still must sign it and is expected to do so before midnight tomorrow when the current CR expires.
The CR includes $6 billion in cuts, keeping to a Republican pledge to cut $2 billion per week. The cuts primarily are from earmarks and programs President Obama already decided to cancel. NASA took a $63 million cut, but that amount was designated for earmarks in the FY2010 budget. NASA and most other agencies and departments continue to be funded at their FY2010 level.
While Republicans and Democrats both publicly deplore the use of CRs, reaching agreement on a bill to fund the government for the rest of FY2011 continues to be an uphill battle. What will happen on April 8 remains anyone’s guess. Around that time, Congress will have to vote to raise the debt limit or the U.S. will default on its obligations. Republicans are expected to use that as leverage to exact Democratic acquiescence on the deep cuts they want to make to federal spending.
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