A Timeline of Dysfunctional Government Funding - December 2020 Edition

What’s the story?

• It’s been a long time — more than 20 years — since Congress last passed all of the 12 regular appropriations bills that are supposed to be enacted individually before the start of the new fiscal year each October 1st. In fact, Congress has only accomplished that task four times since fiscal year 1977.
• As a result, Congress has frequently relied on “omnibus” appropriations bills, which combine all 12 appropriations bills into one piece of legislation; and on continuing resolutions (CRs) that temporarily extend funding at previously enacted levels to prevent a partial government shutdown by filling in the gaps between the passage of the lengthier omnibus bills. 
• For example, Congress enacted five continuing resolutions between the end of September and December 2020 before it approved an omnibus spending bill to fund the rest of FY2021. 
• To illustrate how erratic the appropriations process has been in recent years, we’ve chronicled the bills that have funded the federal government since the 114th Congress began in January 2015 below:

H.R. 133: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (December 29, 2020 - September 30, 2021)

H.Con.Res. 128: Making Further Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021 (December 22, 2020 - December 28, 2020)

H.J.Res. 110: Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 (December 21, 2020)

H.J.Res. 107: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 (December 19, 2020 - December 20, 2020)

H.R. 8900: Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021, and Other Extensions Act (December 12, 2020 - December 18, 2020)

H.R. 8337: Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act (October 1, 2020 - December 11, 2020)

H.R. 1865: Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (December 21, 2019 - September 30, 2020)

H.R. 3055: Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020, and Further Health Extenders Act of 2019 (November 22, 2019 - December 20, 2019)

H.R. 4378: Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020, and Health Extenders Act of 2019 (October 1, 2019 - November 21, 2019)

H.J.Res. 31: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (February 16, 2019 - September 30, 2019)

H.J.Res. 28: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019 (January 25, 2019 - February 15, 2019)

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN (December 22, 2018 - January 25, 2019)

H.J.Res. 143: Making Further Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2019 (December 8, 2018 - December 21, 2018)

H.R. 6157: Dept. of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019 (October 1, 2018 - December 7, 2018)

H.R. 1625: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (March 24, 2018 - September 30, 2018)

H.R. 1892: Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (February 9, 2018 - March 23, 2018)

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN (Early morning hours of February 9, 2018)

H.R. 195: Federal Register Printing Savings Act (January 23, 2018 - February 8, 2018)

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN (January 20, 2018 - January 22, 2018)

H.R. 1370: CHIP and Public Health Funding Extension Act (December 23, 2017 - January 19, 2018)

H.J.Res. 123: Making Further Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018 (December 9, 2017 - December 22, 2017)

H.R. 601: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (October 1, 2017 - December 8, 2017)

H.R. 244: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (May 6, 2017 - September 30, 2017)

H.J.Res. 99: Continued Health Benefits for Miners Act (April 29, 2017 - May 5, 2017)

H.R. 2028: Continued Health Benefits for Miners Act (December 10, 2016 - April 28, 2017)

H.R. 5325: Continuing Appropriations Act, 2017 (October 1, 2016 - December 9, 2016)

H.R. 2029: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (December 23, 2015 - September 30, 2016)

H.J.Res. 78: Making Further Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2016 (December 17, 2015 - December 22, 2015)

H.R. 2250: Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2016 (December 12, 2015 - December 16, 2015)

H.R. 719: Continuing Appropriations Act, 2016 (October 1, 2015 - December 11, 2015)

H.R. 83: Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (December 16, 2014 - September 30, 2015)

Tell your reps about how you think the process of funding the government is functioning and share your thoughts below!

— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: U.S. Capitol via Flickr / Public Domain)