Congress Averts Government Shutdown with Continuing Resolution

The Senate and the House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution today funding the government at FY 2021 levels until December 3, 2021. The legislation includes emergency funding for disaster relief and Afghan refugee relocation. It does not include a highly debated increase to the debt ceiling. The legislation is expected to be signed into law by the President by midnight to avoid a partial government shutdown.

The Senate voted 65 to 35 to advance the legislation. The House passed the bill in a 254 to 175 vote hours later.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said the national debt will enter default on October 18 without the debt ceiling either being raised or suspended. Democrat lawmakers voted to suspend the debt ceiling in a continuing resolution last week, which Republicans rejected. Republicans urged Democrats to use reconciliation to raise the debt ceiling instead.

When it became clear a continuing resolution suspending the debt ceiling could not advance in the Senate without Republican support, lawmakers introduced a continuing resolution that does not address the debt ceiling. This is continuing resolution that passed today to avert to government shutdown, giving lawmakers additional time to work out the debt dispute.