Continuing Resolution | The Contracting Education Academy

January 22, 2018 By cs

Thousands of federal workers in limbo as shutdown drags on

Lawmakers on Sunday (Jan. 21) appeared far from reaching a budget compromise that would allow federal agencies to return to normal operations on Monday following a funding lapse that took effect at midnight Friday.

As Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., put it: “This shutdown is gonna get a lot worse tomorrow.”

While Republicans and Democrats blamed each other for the standoff, the shutdown that began Saturday is the first to take place during one-party control of Congress and the White House.

The House passed a temporary funding bill on Friday along party lines that would have continued funding through Feb. 16, but that measure was rejected by the Senate where the Republicans hold a narrow majority and need 60 votes for passage. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said the House would accept a bill that extends funding through Feb. 8 to give lawmakers more time to reach a permanent agreement, and senators spent Sunday trying to work out a compromise. McConnell scheduled a vote for 1 a.m. Monday if Democrats wouldn’t agree to a vote sooner; by mid-afternoon the prospects appeared dim.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.govexec.com/management/2018/01/thousands-federal-workers-limbo-shutdown-drags/145351

January 18, 2018 By cs

Navy gets savvy with contracting rules to avoid maintenance problems due to CR

The Navy is making progress on repairs it needs to make on its fleet of ships.

The service is seeing a 75 percent reduction in the days that ships are unable to be operational due to maintenance issues or repairs since 2014, said Real Adm. James Downey, deputy commander for surface warfare at the Navy Regional Maintenance Center.

“Coming through 2014, it was nearly 5,000 lost operational days, 4,900 and change,” Downey said during a Jan. 11 speech at the Surface Naval Association Conference in Arlington, Virginia. “As of November 2017, we closed out at about 1,165 lost operational days. We are still not where we need to be. The 75 percent reduction over the last three to four years is principally due to efforts put in place by my predecessors on process, on standing up various planning activities and on strategy.”

Last year, Vice Chief Naval Officer Bill Moran warned that putting off maintenance on ships is detrimental to the Navy.

Keep reading this article at: https://federalnewsradio.com/defense/2018/01/navy-is-getting-savvy-with-contracting-rules-to-avoid-maintenance-problems-due-to-cr/

January 11, 2018 By cs

Why care that Congress does not pass appropriations bills on time?

The federal government’s fiscal year began on Oct. 1, 2017. As of the date of this post, that was 101 days ago. There is still no budget for the full year, just a continuing resolution (CR) that expires on Jan. 19.

So what is a CR? The Government Accountability Office (GAO) defines it as: “An appropriation act that provides budget authority for federal agencies, specific activities, or both to continue in operation when Congress and the president have not completed action on the regular appropriation acts by the beginning of the fiscal year.” In recent years, we could also define it as “business as usual.” Some folks look at that and say “no problem.” They think that government spends too much anyway, so slowing down government spending is a good thing.

That might make sense if operating the government on continuing resolutions and last-minute omnibus spending bills actually saved money for the taxpayers. Sadly, the opposite is true. Not having a funded budget on Oct. 1 means agencies have to do countless workarounds, many of which cost money. Here are just a few examples of the problems created by the lack of timely appropriations.

Keep reading this article at: https://federalnewsradio.com/commentary/2018/01/why-care-that-congress-does-not-pass-appropriations-bills-on-time/

September 6, 2017 By cs

President backs deal to avert a shutdown … for now

President Trump on Wednesday backed a Democratic plan to avert a government shutdown and default, surprising many on Capitol Hill.

On Sept. 6, 2017, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he supported a Democratic plan to keep government open through a continuing resolution that would expire Dec. 15. He said he also supports a plan to attach a three-month increase in the debt limit to Hurricane Harvey relief. The comments came after the president met with congressional leaders Wednesday morning.

“We essentially came to a deal, and I think the deal will be very good,” Trump said. “We had a very, very cordial and professional meeting. So we have an extension, which will go out on December 15. That will include the debt ceiling, that will include the CRs, and it will include Harvey.”

Keep reading this article at: http://www.govexec.com/management/2017/09/congress-gets-closer-debt-ceiling-spending-deals/140779

May 2, 2017 By cs

Low morale, cut corners just a few of agencies’ contracting woes while Congress debates federal funding

Congress has been criticized for kicking the can down the road when it comes to federal spending, but as the government shutdown clocks ticks closer to midnight — and agencies dust off their contingency plans — some are wondering if that kicked can might be the best option right now.

The continuing resolution currently funding the government expires at 11:59 p.m., April 28. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney said April 21 that the administration did not expect a lapse in appropriations, however “prudence and common sense require routine assessments to be made.”

OMB officials said the agency planned to hold a meeting or conference call a week out from the deadline, “regardless of whether the enactment of appropriations appears imminent.”

This will be the third such call in fiscal 2017. OMB made similar calls in fiscal 2014 and 2016.

Keep reading this article at: https://federalnewsradio.com/budget/2017/04/budget-woes-stretch-beyond-agency-contracting-office-while-congress-debates-federal-funding/

Lawmakers on Sunday (Jan. 21) appeared far from reaching a budget compromise that would allow federal agencies to return to normal operations on Monday following a funding lapse that took effect at midnight Friday.

The Navy is making progress on repairs it needs to make on its fleet of ships.

The federal government’s fiscal year began on Oct. 1, 2017. As of the date of this post, that was 101 days ago. There is still no budget for the full year, just a continuing resolution (CR) that expires on Jan. 19.

President Trump on Wednesday backed a Democratic plan to avert a government shutdown and default, surprising many on Capitol Hill.

Congress has been criticized for kicking the can down the road when it comes to federal spending, but as the government shutdown clocks ticks closer to midnight — and agencies dust off their contingency plans — some are wondering if that kicked can might be the best option right now.

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