GOP Leaders in Congress to Postpone FY2017 Spending Decisions

Republican leaders in the House and Senate announced last week they will delay final decisions on FY2017 appropriations bills until the spring and will consider a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the federal government operating until March 31. According to the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), the decision could have negative implications for EPA’s plans to begin offering loans through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) pilot program in early 2017.

Though the 2017 fiscal year began on Oct. 1, to date Congress has only enacted one of the 12 appropriations bills required to fund the government. In September, Congress voted to extend FY2016 funding levels through Dec. 9, with the expectation that lawmakers would finalize an FY2017 appropriations plan during a post-election “lame duck” session.