Late this week, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate adopted a Continuing Resolution (CR) to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month, and fund the federal government until December 11, 2014.  This action suggests that long-term funding decisions will be made by a lame-duck Congress when the long-term makeup of the U.S. Senate becomes more clear.  The vote on the House-approved measure was delayed last week in response to a request by President Obama to provide funding and authorization to address an emerging threat from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). 

The House voted 319-108 to send the CR bill (HR 124) to the Senate, with 143 Democrats and 176 Republicans voting in support, and 55 Democrats and 53 Republicans voting in opposition.  A detailed record of how the RCRC House delegation voted can be accessed here.  The Senate voted 73-22 to pass the short-term CR after much debate over several amendments were offered to alter the measure moving forward.  Both Senator Feinstein and Senator Boxer voted in favor of the CR.

While committees in both chambers may hold hearings on specific issues, Congress for the most part will break for recess through late November and early December.  Depending on the outcome of seats in the U.S. Senate, both houses are expected to reconvene to develop and adopt details over government finances to avert another government shutdown.  RCRC will use this possible opportunity to address a number of federal funding priorities, including the federal Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program and the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program.