U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations

12/02/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/02/2021 08:50

DeLauro Introduces Further Extending Government Funding Act

December 2, 2021
Press Release

House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) today introduced the short-term Further Extending Government Funding Act, which continues government funding through February 18. It makes minimal changes to address the most urgent of needs during the period of the Continuing Resolution and provides $7 billion to continue supporting Afghanistan evacuees after the end of 20 years of war.

"For months, Republicans have refused to negotiate on government funding and, in fact, have not even presented an offer of their own. Because Democrats take responsibility for the needs of American families, I have introduced the Further Extending Government Funding Act. It continues current funding and policy with only minimal changes, creating incentives for both sides to negotiate. While I wish the February 18 end date were earlier, this agreement allows the appropriations process to move forward toward a final funding agreement which addresses the needs of the American people," Chair DeLauro said. "Instead of short-term funding patches like this, working families, small businesses, veterans, and our military need the certainty that comes with passing an omnibus. Republicans must join us for bipartisan, bicameral negotiations to resolve our differences and keep government working for the people."

An omnibus with bicameral, bipartisan support is the only option that meets the needs of the American people:

  • For American communities, an omnibus creates jobs by supporting small businesses, bolsters our public health infrastructure to prevent future pandemics and medical research to save lives, strengthens public schools with a focus on those serving students with the highest need, protects our air and water through environmental protection and enforcement efforts, combats the opioid epidemic on the ground in our communities, and supports core services such as food safety and consumer product inspections. Without an omnibus, investments in all these areas will be denied.
  • For American veterans, an omnibus provides sufficient funding for veterans' benefits, reduces backlogs for veterans and their families seeking assistance, and meets the needs of the VA's health care system. Without an omnibus, there will be a shortfall that will cause veterans not to receive their benefits in full.
  • For America's national security, an omnibus supports defense readiness and modernization, sustains good-paying American jobs, secures our cyber infrastructure, and strengthens American leadership abroad. Without an omnibus, a pay raise for troops will not be funded while funds will be misdirected to a war we are no longer fighting.
"With a new deadline of February 18, we need Republicans to offer constructive proposals to address the critical issues facing the country by funding the federal government's important work for the American people,"Chair DeLauro said. "There can be no more delay."

The legislation, H.R. 6119, is expected to be considered in the House today. A detailed, section-by-section summary is here. The full text of the legislation is here.

117th Congress