The President’s Priorities
Welcome back from the Labor Day weekend and the unofficial end of Summer. Congress remains on their August break until next week.
The White House, attempting to get a jump on the impending action, forwarded to Congress its wish list of anomalies requiring funding in the event of a continuing resolution. The document is somewhat tone deaf, seeking funding for Presidential priorities, many of which Congress has clearly resisted to this point in the legislative process. High profile examples include Border funding and Space Defense Agency.
What is to Come
What we can expect in the coming weeks. A short term continuing resolution (CR) is virtually a guarantee despite the recent agreement on a budget deal for FY20-21. The reasons for a CR are fairly simple:
- Some form of gun legislation will be demanded in the wake of two significant mass shootings: El Paso and Midland, TX.
- The White House continues to re-direct funding to the Border wall that Congress had appropriated elsewhere in government, despite the tenuous legal ground on which these funds are being shifted.
- The Senate is behind in their part of the appropriations process. Although Chairman Shelby has a plan to move bills quickly, they will get mired in process as issues 1 and 2 above are vetted in both the House and Senate.
What should you be doing now?
- Communicate with your program office regarding specific impacts of a CR on your contract(s).
- Be prepared for a CR to run to Thanksgiving, and possibly early December.
Gene is conducting his only funding seminar of the year on the federal funding process. Click here for more details and share with a colleague as appropriate.
Click here for the full list of anomalies requested by the White House.
Check out Gene’s recent article in the September edition of National Defense Magazine on Lobbying and business.
