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Federal Lawmakers Face Fiscal Deadline — Will Government Shut Down?
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In 1974, the Congressional Budget Act (CBA) was passed, setting the framework for the current budget and government spending process. The CBA requires Congress to pass both a budget and 12 appropriations bills by September 30 of each year. The President must then sign each of the spending bills into law. Over 50 years later, this lofty process has only been accomplished 4 times. Lawmakers have missed deadlines and resorted to omni- or minibuses (combining two or more appropriations bills together), continuing resolutions (CR), or government shutdowns. Worse of all, the government’s reckless spending has repeatedly been ignored. Once again, Congress has just days remaining until the end of the fiscal year with no appropriations bill passed, and it must weigh its options to keep the federal government functioning.
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