Congress Faces Upheaval and Funding Authorizations.

• Author: Thomas, Michael
• Position: FEDERAL UPDATE

The past few months have included spates of frenzied work by lawmakers to respond to the dynamic threat of the Coronavirus while fighting to keep standard Congressional business moving. Specifically, nearly $900 billion in needed funding authorizations will expire after September, the end of the 2020 fiscal year. Spending authorization bills provide the legal authority for federal programs to spend the funds allocated to them through the appropriations process. Thousands of non-profits, government personnel, businesses, and municipalities across the country receive this funding every year to support their operations. What is normally one of the most important functions Congress performs is being dwarfed and frustrated by the efforts of legislators to address the ongoing public health crisis. The fast-approaching end of FY 2020 is forcing a legislative logjam as both chambers of Congress find themselves weaving through their priorities.

BACKGROUND

Members of the House Committee on Appropriations have been anticipating a busy summer, and leadership indicated in June that we can expect a breakneck pace for the month of July as appropriators negotiate changes and amendments. At $740 billion and $64 billion respectively, the required authorization of defense and transportation spending make up the bulk of budget authority requiring work. The policy world has been moving exceptionally fast over the past several months, making it easy to conflate or misunderstand legislation that is being proposed in Congress. Discussion of major legislative action has recently revolved around three very familiar issues: additional infrastructure spending, continuation of existing spending on transportation initiatives, and response to COVID-19.

Since the beginning of the year, Congress has passed two bills in response to the pandemic, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES). The two relief measures offered direct payments to individuals, support for capital markets, and emergency grant funding across federal agencies. Before Congress passed legislation in response to COVID-19, replacing the expiring surface transportation bill was a pressing legislative issue. Seen as a successful example of Congressional function, lawmakers have been able to ensure consistent passage of funding bills for U.S. transportation networks. The Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) will expire soon, which affects the process. The...