FY17 Continuing Resolution (CR)
There are 7 days left until the end of the fiscal year. While the text of a continuing resolution (CR) wasn’t made available until Thursday, the Senate voted 89 to 7 on Tuesday evening to move forward on HR 5325, the legislative vehicle for CR. This vote had been postponed twice while negotiators continued discussions trying to hammer out a final deal. On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) filed what he called a “clean CR” funding the government through Dec. 9 (at FY16 levels reduced by 0.496%). The CR includes funding for the opioid epidemic, Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), flood relief in MD, WV and LA, and $1.1B for the Zika Virus, as well as full-year funding for the FY17 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs appropriations bill. The bill did not include the ICANN provision proposed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). And it did allow for Planned Parenthood clinics in Puerto Rico to get reimbursed for Zika-related spending.
The Senate will hold a cloture vote on this substitute amendment on Tuesday at 2:15 pm. McConnell said that this would give the Senate time to also hold a veto override vote on the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) that the President is expected to veto today (the 10-day window for the President to submit his rejection of the JASTA bill closes on Friday).
Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Democrat Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) spoke on the Senate floor after McConnell and said that Democrats wanted a clean CR with no riders. However, she claims that the substitute amendment McConnell filed is a “Republican only bill” that Democrats cannot support. She said that the bill fails to help the people of Flint, MI. The Senate passed a Water Resources Development Act recently that does include funding for Flint, MI, and the House has it on the calendar for next week. Democrats are also objecting to a policy provision preventing the Securities and Exchange Commission from requiring corporations to disclose their political spending. If Democrats remain united in their opposition, the cloture vote will fail, as Republicans won’t be able to get the 60 votes required under Senate rules. Senate Republicans are also not united on the measure as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) issued a statement that he would vote against the measure unless is provides a provision to restore full power to the Export-Import Bank and Cruz could oppose it over not including language to delay a transition of internet oversight from the United States to a global group.
The House Rules Committee approved a rule this week that allows for same-day authority (informally called “martial law”) through September 27, which will allow House leaders to potentially bring legislation to the chamber floor the same day that its advanced by Rules. This shows that they are hoping to quickly pass the CR once it is sent over from the Senate.
Continuing Resolution Legislation:
Continuing Resolution Section-by-Section Summary:
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Summary:
Zika Research, Treatment, and Control Funding Summary:
Explanatory Statement: Front:
Explanatory Statement: Division A:
Explanatory Statement: Divisions B, C, D: