Congress Passes Temporary Spending Bill

Congress passed a last-minute continuing resolution to keep the government funded through Dec. 11. President Trump signed the legislation late on Sept. 30, the same day funding to keep the government open was set to expire. The agreement extends FY20 funding for the vast majority of government operations. It does include some additional funds for farm aid and nutrition assistance, which were priorities for Republicans and Democrats, respectively.

Congress will now attempt to pass all 12 of the formal appropriations bills before Dec. 11 to provide government funding for FY21. With the November elections rapidly approaching, it is possible that they could pass another continuing resolution to push the negotiation process into early 2021. NBCC’s Government and Legislative Affairs Department is continuing to work with allies in Congress to see funding increased for priority mental health programs, including the Minority Fellowship Program, and the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program in the final FY21 agreements.