Senate Approves HJ Res 48

The Senate this afternoon voted 87 to 13 to pass HJ Res 48, the latest short-term extension of the current continuing resolution funding the Federal government. This resolution will extend the current CR until April 8th if it is signed, as expected, by President Obama. The resolution includes language that would extend the current authorization for the CFATS program (among others) until April 8th.

Nine of the 13 Nay votes came from Republican Senators, generally reflecting their displeasure at the continuing use of short term funding measures instead completing a funding bill for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Conventional wisdom would claim that this three week extension will provide additional time for congressional leaders to work out a compromise funding program for the remainder of this fiscal year so that Congress can start to work on the FY 2012 budget. Unfortunately the current work plan for the House and Senate includes a recess next week during which little work is expected on the spending plan.

HJ Res 48 Passes in House

This afternoon the House passed HJ Res 48, the latest short-term continuing resolution to keep the Federal government funded through April 8^th. The vote of 271 to 158 was very bipartisan. The bulk of the Republicans were joined by 85 Democrats in voting for the measure while 54 Republicans joined the majority of the Democrats in voting against the bill. The bill now needs to be taken up and passed by the Senate before midnight Friday to avoid a now generally unexpected government shutdown.

HJ Res 48 Reported by Rules Committee

Last night the House Rules Committee finished developing the rule for the consideration of HJ Res 48, Additional Continuing Appropriations Amendments, 2011. This will be considered under a closed rule (no floor amendments will be allowed) and only one hour of debate will be allowed. This is pretty much the same as the rule for the previous short-term CR. This resolution will likely be considered by the House today.

A number of news organizations are reporting that some conservative Republicans are planning on voting against this resolution because they feel that it doesn’t go far enough and that a final resolution needs to be worked out, not another short term deal. That being said, there are almost certainly enough Democrats that will vote in favor of this legislation to allow it to pass in the House, and probably do so in the Senate.

HJ Res 48 to Extend Current Continuing Resolution

Last Friday the House Rules Committee published a committee print of HJ Res. 48, the next short term continuing resolution to keep the Federal government temporarily funded while the Senate and the House work out a FY 2011 funding mechanism acceptable to both sides. This new short term CR (or some substitute) must be adopted before midnight on Friday or else the government will ‘shut down’.

This new bill would extend the current CR (HR 3082 from last session as amended by HJ Res 44 this session; PL 111-242). The changes included in the committee print of HJ Res 48 would not have any new effect on DHS spending (with the exception of one rescission of Customs and Border Protection construction spending; §257). The CFATS authority would be extended until April 8, 2011; the same date as the CR would expire. There is no specific mention of the CFATS authorization in this bill, but it changes the date in §106(a) of the base legislation which is the date referred to in the CFATS extension language.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog on hearings, the House Rules Committee will be meeting This afternoon to prepare the rule for the consideration of this bill before the House. A floor vote in the House would be expected late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Then it heads to the Senate.