Lawmakers are rushing to complete work on a fiscal year (FY) 2023 funding package and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — two “must-do” items before the end of the 117th Congress.
Details on the FY 2023 legislation are scant — there is no agreement on a “topline number” for FY 2023 spending — and stakeholders do not yet know if members of Congress will succeed in putting together an omnibus package or simply extend current funding levels under a year-long continuing resolution (CR). Noncontroversial policy riders accompanied by offsets are a likely possibility in either scenario. A short-term CR to give lawmakers at least an extra week beyond the Dec. 16 deadline seems certain to avoid a government shutdown.
Reportedly, the Office of Management and Budget sent a list of year-long CR anomalies to congressional offices on Dec. 5. This list represents changes that need to be enacted in order to keep federal agencies operating if current spending levels are extended under a longer-term CR. This underscores the skepticism from the administration that lawmakers will be able to agree on an omnibus spending package.
On the political side, all eyes are on the Dec. 6 Georgia Senate runoff race. Once the outcome of that race is known, expect Congress to move at warp speed to complete its year-end business.
This Week in Congress
The Senate and House are both in session this week. On Dec. 5, the House Rules Committee held a business meeting to consider four pieces of legislation, including one that will serve as the vehicle for the fiscal year 2023 NDAA.
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