House preps stopgap CR to run through Feb. 18

By Tony Bertuca / December 2, 2021 at 9:11 AM

Lawmakers have reached an agreement on a stopgap continuing resolution to keep the federal government open and funded through Feb. 18, according to a statement from House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT).

If approved, the measure would avert a government shutdown slated for Friday.

DeLauro said lawmakers, looking to “build pressure” for a final bipartisan appropriations deal, are proposing a CR that includes “virtually no changes” to existing funding or policy anomalies.

However, she said, the measure does include $7 billion for Afghanistan evacuees. The Pentagon would get more than $4 billion of that amount to cover evacuee housing at military bases.

“The end date is February 18,” she said. “While I wish it were earlier, this agreement allows the appropriations process to move forward toward a final funding agreement which addresses the needs of the American people.”

The federal government has been operating under a CR since Oct. 1 that runs through Dec. 3. Congress has until tomorrow at midnight to pass the CR to avert a government shutdown.

Under a CR, the Pentagon’s budget is frozen at previous-year levels and it is prohibited from launching new programs or contracting for production increases unless specifically approved by Congress.

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