Last week the House passed a continuing resolution (CR) that would fund the government through November 21, 2019, averting a government shutdown as Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 comes to a close. The measure (H.R. 4378) passed the House with a veto-proof majority vote of 301-123. The Senate is expected to pass the measure and the President is expected to sign the bill before the end of the fiscal year.
This continues to fund government programs at FY 2019 funding levels. The bill also includes an important adjustment for the Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program that will prevent renewal delays for Project Rental Assistance Contracts set to expire in early FY 2020.
The full Senate Committee on Appropriations approved the FY 2020 spending bills for Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies and Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies with no amendments. The HUD bill provides $48.6 billion in discretionary funding, $4.4 billion more than FY 2019. The Agriculture bill allots $23.1 billion, $58 million more than the FY19 enacted level.
In total, the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved five of its 12 bills. The Committee will need to finish work on the remaining seven bills and then reconcile all 12 of its bills with the House approved bills before the new November 21 deadline.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition updated its budget chart for selected HUD and USDA programs, which compares FY 2019 funding with FY 2020 amounts from the President, House and Senate.
