Congress Passes Short Stopgap Spending Bill; Immigration Agencies Funded Through March 22

Congress has passed another short-term spending bill that will fund some federal agencies – including immigration agencies – through March 22, while other federal agencies will be funded through March 8. President Biden is expected to sign the bill, which will avert a U.S. government shutdown while FY 2024 budget negotiations continue.

The issue

A continuing resolution passed by Congress last evening will fund the federal government in the short term while FY 2024 budget negotiations continue. President Biden is expected to sign the bill. The latest stopgap bill once again uses a two-tiered approach to continue government funding. Several federal agencies, including the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, Labor, and State, will be funded through March 22, 2024, meaning that immigration operations requiring congressional appropriations will continue uninterrupted through that date. Other agencies and programs will be funded through March 8.

What the short-term spending measure means for employers

The passage of another temporary spending measure means that there will be no interruption of federal operations for now. Congressional leadership has reportedly agreed in principle on the FY 2024 budget, but a government shutdown remains a possibility if no appropriations legislation or an additional stopgap is signed into law by the tiered expiration dates. Some immigration operations – particularly those at the Department of Labor – would be affected if additional legislation is not passed by March 22.