Senate Passes Continuing Appropriations Act

March 20, 2013

Senate Passes Continuing Appropriations Act to Fund Government Through September 30, 2013, and to Prevent a Shutdown

March 20, 2013 – WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Senate today approved H.R. 933, the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act by a vote of 73 to 26, taking a big step forward in preventing a government shutdown. The Senate bill passed today funds the government through September 30, 2013, the end of the fiscal year. The current continuing resolution expires on March 27, 2013.

“Working across the aisle and across the dome, the Senate has come together to prevent a government shutdown,” said Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.). “I am so proud the Senate bill protects national security while meeting compelling human needs. It makes investments in human infrastructure like early childhood education. And it creates jobs today and jobs tomorrow by supporting research and innovation. I thank my Vice Chairman, Senator Shelby, for his support and hard work. I look forward to swift action in the House so we can focus on passing a budget, ending sequestration, and getting back to regular order.”

“This is an important step in breaking from crisis mode in Washington,” said Vice Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). “Chairwoman Mikulski and I set out to prevent a government shutdown, provide flexibility for those implementing budget cuts, and produce a bill that both parties in both chambers can support. It is my hope that the tone we set in meeting these objectives for the current fiscal year will carry over to our work on subsequent appropriations bills. We must continue to work together to replace a last minute, shotgun approach to reducing spending with a deliberate, targeted process.”

The original House CR contained two full bills, for Defense and for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. The Senate bill expands on the House bill, adding three domestic bills, including: Agriculture; Commerce, Justice, Science; and Homeland Security. In addition, the Senate added a number of critical provisions, to enable the government to meet its mission-critical obligations.

The bill now returns to the House for its consideration.

Source: U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee