It does not get covered much in the news, but Congress still has not been able to pass the legislation needed to fund the government through the rest of the 2022 fiscal year.
Instead, they have passed two “CRs” (continuing resolutions), which are stop-gap measures to keep the government open at fy2021’s spending levels. The latest CR expires this Friday and although they have reached an agreement on a framework for the needed spending legislation, they need more time to fill in the details.
The House of Representatives has passed an additional CR that would fund the government through March 11, but the Senate has to do the same sometime this week. At this point, it is expected the Senate will pass the needed legislation which will avoid the shut-down.
For seniors, this is an important issue because Social Security payments, veterans’ benefits, and even Medicare payments could be affected if the government were to shut down.
