With two days to go before a shutdown, Congress approved a Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend current funding levels and keep the government open until December 18th. The current CR expires on December 11th at midnight. The stop-gap measure (H.R. 8900), passed the House by a vote of 343-67 and is expected to pass the Senate and be signed by the President in short order.

The CR extends FY20 funding levels for one week, through December 18th, allowing Congress and the Administration to continue negotiations on a COVID-19 emergency relief package and complete consideration of FY21 appropriations.
The CR extends important authorities to ensure the State Department, USAID, and other international affairs agencies can continue to operate at capacity throughout the week that negotiations continue.

As COVID-19 continues to spread across the U.S. and around the world, the USGLC urges Congress and the Administration to reach a bipartisan deal on critical emergency relief that includes at least $20 billion for critical international response efforts to protect the health, safety, and economic recovery of Americans at home and the most vulnerable worldwide.