CR Deal Would Set Back Critical Projects
August 14, 2012
A tentative deal for a six-month continuing resolution would, if approved, avert the threat of a government shutdown until March — but it also would set back plans for new and expanded programs.
- Among the planned initiatives that would be delayed:
- More tax collectors at the Internal Revenue Service.
- A new polar icebreaker for the Coast Guard.
- Additional contracted space to relieve overcrowding in federal prisons.
- An innovative partnership between the State and Defense departments to deal with unexpected threats.
CRs consign agencies to an all-too-familiar budget limbo. Under a CR, new programs are generally taboo; hiring and procurement are restricted; and agencies may even be stuck with funding programs at levels they think are unnecessarily high.