After 43 days, the government is back open . . . for now.
President Trump signed a continuing resolution (CR) into law Wednesday night that ended the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history.
This came after Senate Republicans broke a Democratic blockade earlier in the week, securing the support of eight Democratic Senators to allow the CR to come to a vote. Following Senate passage by a vote of 60-40, the House returned from its extended hiatus to pass the bill, 222-209, with six Democrats voting in favor and two Republicans opposed.
The CR keeps government agencies funded and operating until January 30, 2026. It also provides full-year appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Agriculture, military construction projects and the legislative branch – meaning that any subsequent shutdown this fiscal year will not affect them.
The CR also ensures that all federal employees, both those furloughed and those deemed essential during the shutdown, will receive back pay; and it rescinds all layoffs and reductions-in-force that happened during the shutdown – but only until January 30, when those employees could lose their jobs all over again.
Lastly, the CR promises a Senate vote in December on extending Obamacare insurance premium subsidies that were the basis for Democratic opposition to earlier CRs. Although Democrats had insisted that the subsidies be extended as a condition for backing the CR, the final bill only promises a vote in the Senate. That vote would be subject to a filibuster, meaning that Democrats would need to pick up at least 13 GOP Senators for it to move forward, and the House has made no such promise of a vote.
The lack of assurance that the subsidies will be extended generated a fierce blowback from progressive Democratic lawmakers and outside groups, who say that Democrats “caved” in passing the CR. Much of that ire is directed at Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), even though he voted against the CR.
With the government re-opening, services and funding that were held up are slowly coming back on line: air traffic control towers are fully staffed, even though it may take days for the aviation system to get back to normal; food stamp benefits are being restored, and contracting officers and grant administrators are back on the job.
While that’s good news, the possibility of another shutdown still looms when the current CR expires January 30. While lawmakers are hoping to pass more appropriations bills before then, there is no guarantee that we could find ourselves back here again early next year.
How has the government shutdown affected your firm? Please let us know at info@acra-crm.org.
ACRA Urges DOT to Ensure Small Firms Can Compete
In response to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) interim final rule (IFR) ending the use of race- and sex-based presumptions of disadvantage under the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concessions DBE (ACDBE) Programs, ACRA has urged the Department to continue ensuring that small, disadvantaged CRM firms can compete for and win contracts through consistent and clear rules.
The IFR requires all current DBE/ACDBE firms to undergo reevaluation to prove their eligibility under the new standards. Each state or territorial Unified Certification Program (UCP) must identify all currently certified DBE/ACDBEs, provide them with the opportunity to submit documentation demonstrating its eligibility under the new standards that do not take race or gender into account, and issue a written decision to each firm indicating that it has either been recertified or is decertified.
In its comment letter, ACRA raised concerns about the IFR’s treatment of existing contracts and advertised projects and urged DOT to provide more clarity about the re-evaluation process to recertify DBEs. Pointing out that small companies have limited staff capacity, ACRA’s comment states that “[i]nvesting time and effort in re-certifying for DBE status, without fully understanding the criteria for re-certification or even how long the process will take – presents smaller companies with substantial business risk and uncertainty.”
Your Firm Can Still Sign the Letter to Support Renewing the Historic Preservation Fund
More than 300 companies, organizations, Tribes and agencies across the preservation community signed a letter to Congress urging it to reauthorize the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF).
A bipartisan group of House members has introduced legislation, H.R. 3418, that would reauthorize the program for 10 years and increase its annual deposit from $150 million to $250 million.
Drafted by ACRA and its national preservation partners, the coalition letter urges calls on Congress to advance the bill: “We cannot think of more fortuitous timing as we prepare for the 50th anniversary of the Historic Preservation Fund in 2026, in addition to commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence, the 60th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act, and the 50th anniversary of the Historic Tax Credit program.”
The coalition is keeping the letter open so more companies and organizations can sign on; additional signatories will be forwarded to Congress to demonstrate growing support and momentum for the HPF’s reauthorization.
Click here to sign on.