The House of Representatives passed a “minibus” appropriations package including six of the 12 funding bills prior to the August recess, signifying the most progress to date on funding Fiscal Year 2023. The package includes spending bills for the following: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration; Energy and Water Development; Financial Services and General Government; Interior and Environment; and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. The spending package advanced by a vote of 220-207. The Senate has not passed any appropriations bills to date. For an up-to-date table on the status of appropriations, please click here.

The Financial Services and General Government bill, included in the package, stayed silent on the subject of federal pay, effectively endorsing President Biden’s proposal for an average 4.6 percent boost in 2023. This would be the largest pay increase in 20 years, although FMA still supports the 5.1 percent raise as called for in the FAIR Act. Language unveiled in the Senate would also point toward a 4.6 percent raise in 2023.

Time is running out for Congress to pass funding bills on time. The House has parts of 11 legislative days scheduled before the end of the fiscal year, and the Senate will not reconvene until September 6, leaving just over three weeks before the start of Fiscal Year 2023. Senate leadership has already stated they expect continuing resolutions to be necessary to prevent a lapse in appropriations. Regrettably, we are girding for a similar scenario to the FY2022 appropriations process, which wasn’t resolved until nearly six months past the beginning of the fiscal year.