US Congress extends government funding through mid-February

The US House and Senate both passed a temporary measure on 2 December that will keep the federal government, including the US Department of Defense (DoD), funded through 18 February 2022.

The legislation, or continuing resolution (CR), now heads to President Joe Biden, who is expected to sign it into law. The CR will replace the one that expires on 3 December.

The CRs are needed to avoid a government shutdown because lawmakers have not passed their 12 regular appropriations bills for fiscal year (FY) 2022, which began on 1 October 2021.

Defence industry groups have urged Congress to quickly complete the regular bills, partly because CRs generally prevent the DoD from starting new programmes or increasing production rates. However, disagreement over funding levels and other issues has delayed completion of the appropriations bills.

As the new CR was heading towards passage, the Biden administration urged Congress to “use the coming weeks to engage in robust bipartisan negotiations to reach agreement on appropriations and avoid the devastating effects of a full-year” CR.