The Senate is moving forward today on a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through the end of fiscal 2013.  Although Senate leaders had hoped to complete work on the bill yesterday, concerns about pending amendments delayed consideration until this morning. Senate leaders reached an agreement today that is expected to culminate in final passage of the CR by the chamber as early this afternoon. After it is approved by the Senate, the bill is expected to be taken up and passed quickly by the House to prevent a government shutdown and allow lawmakers to leave town for a two-week Easter recess. The current CR is set to expire on Wednesday, March 27, 2013.

The House passed its version of the CR on March 6. The House measure had included spending bills for Defense and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, along with a straightforward CR for other federal agencies. The Senate version expands on the House bill, adding spending bills for Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science and Homeland Security, as well as making additional exceptions and funding adjustments to the CR for other agencies. Like the House version, the Senate’s CR measure sets total fiscal 2013 discretionary spending levels in line with the Budget Control Act cap of $1.043 trillion (before applying the sequester). The measure also leaves in place the March 1, 2013 sequester for the current fiscal year and includes an extension of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and related programs through September 30, 2013.

Link(s): House CR; Senate CR