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December 18, 2018
Source: Jennifer (White) Mangone – Legislative Counsel

Clock is Ticking to Fund the Remainder of FY19
As predicted, funding for FY19 is coming down to the wire. Lurching toward a Christmas break, Congressional leaders and the President are working to come to agreement on funding federal agencies not yet funded for FY19. The sticking point has been funding for a border wall – Congress allocated $1.375 billion for border enhancements in its proposed FY19 funding but the President is asking for $5 billion for a border wall.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said that Republicans offered to support a measure to provide $1.6 billion for border security, plus a $1 billion slush fund for more border security spending. Democrats will not support that proposal, she said, and will continue to stand by their offer of a continuing resolution to fund the Department of Homeland Security for the rest of the fiscal year, plus either a six-bill spending package or a stopgap for all other remaining bills.
While 75 percent of the portion of the federal budget controlled by Congress has been funded through next September, the other 25 percent is operating on a short-term funding extension that runs out Friday at midnight. Unless a deal is reached, the departments of Treasury and Commerce, as well as independent agencies like the SBA will lose funding. Until the standoff is resolved, small businesses may lose access to the vital services these agencies provide.
Since the Continuing Resolution currently in place expires on December 21, a partial government shutdown could occur, should the Congress and the President fail to come to an agreement.