Bill funds the federal government through the end of next April. Congress must pass it by the end of the week to avert a government shutdown.
Last night, the House of Representatives released the text of a new short-term continuing resolution (CR) that Congress must pass before the end of the week to avoid a government shutdown. The CR maintains the fiscal year 2017 spending cap of $1.07 trillion and will keep the federal government funded through April 28, 2017.
At that time, lawmakers must negotiate another budget deal—whether a full-year CR or final spending bills—to keep the government operating through FY17 that runs through the end of the fiscal year on September 30.
Some conservative Members of Congress are urging their leadership to enact cuts to federal spending levels in any final bill. If these efforts are successful and the final spending bill is set at last year’s levels, more than 100,000 vouchers could be lost. To learn more, go here: http://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/CHCDF_Opposition-to-Long-Term-CR_FY17.pdf
Small Across-the-Board Cut
To fit under mandated spending caps, the CR includes an across-the-board cut of 0.19% to funding levels for defense and non-defense programs.
Funding for Disaster Recovery Included
The measure includes more than $1.8 million in Disaster Recover Community Development Block Grant funds to help communities rebuild and repair damages caused by Hurricane Matthew and severe flooding that occurred in Louisiana, Texas, West Virginia and elsewhere.
Flint Aid
The legislation provides $170 million to help address lead contamination in Flint’s drinking water. Of that amount, $15 million will go to the Center for Disease Control’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program to conduct screenings and referrals for children with elevated blood lead levels.
Additional Funding for Tribal HUD-VA Supportive Housing Program
The CR provides additional flexibility to the Tribal HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program to ensure it has enough funding for operations necessary to renew rental assistance grants and administrative costs.
USDA Guaranteed Multi-Family Housing Loan Program
The CR includes a provision giving the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) flexibility to provide enough funding for approved loans under the 538 Guaranteed Multi-Family Housing Loan Program.