This week, Congress passed a five-day extension on federal funding to ensure appropriations continues through December 16, 2015. The short-term extension was needed as funding was set to expire on December 11, 2015.
Federal agencies would have begun to shutdown at midnight if lawmakers didn’t pass an extension. The extension provides Congress more time to work on a $1.1 trillion, full-year appropriations bill, but disagreements over funding levels and policy riders are delaying a final agreement. Congressional leadership hopes to have an appropriations bill finalized next week, but another short-term extension is needed if an agreement is not reached by December 16, 2015.