The Senate passed a continuing resolution (CR) by a vote of 65-27 on February 17 to extend funding for the federal government through March 11, buying Congress an additional three weeks to reach an agreement on federal funding for the current fiscal year.
This CR is the third that has been enacted to extend government funding as congressional appropriators continue working on a funding agreement for fiscal year (FY) 2022, which began on October 1, 2021. The House passed the CR last week (see Memo, 2/14) and the measure briefly stalled in the Senate after several conservative Republicans, led by Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), insisted on holding votes on amendments that would withhold federal funding for the enforcement of COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The amendments of neither Senator ultimately passed.
Appropriators have been locked in a months-long stalemate over an FY22 funding agreement, with Democrats pushing for significant increases to social spending programs and Republicans insisting that spending be divided equally between defense and non-defense programs. Appropriations leaders in the House and Senate reportedly reached an agreement on February 9 on a “framework” for the FY22 appropriations bill, but details of the agreement – including details about funding for vital HUD and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) affordable housing programs – have yet to be released, even as negotiations continue.
The FY22 spending bill presents Congress with an opportunity to move the nation towards universal, stable, and affordable homes for all by making significant investments in affordable housing, including by expanding the Housing Choice Vouchers program to an additional 125,000 households with low incomes. The House spending bill would provide HUD programs with almost $7 billion more than was provided in fiscal year 2021 and guarantee significant funding increases for nearly all HUD programs, including an expansion of rental assistance through the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program to an additional 125,000 households. The Senate proposal, however, would provide HUD with over $1 billion less than the House proposal and would not include any major expansion of rental assistance.
Take Action!
Advocates should continue to urge members of Congress to enact a final spending bill that provides the most possible funding for affordable housing and community development programs and that includes the House proposal to expand rental assistance to an additional 125,000 households.
Contact your members of Congress today and urge them to enact an FY22 spending bill that contains the major expansion of housing vouchers included in the House bill.