Congress approved, and President Trump signed, legislation reopening the government by providing continuation of funding for most agencies at current levels through January 31. The action ends the 43-day government shutdown, the longest in history. Also in the package are three separate appropriations bills funding individual agencies, including the Department of Agriculture. These three bills had made some movement in the legislative process although were not finalized prior to the shutdown. Different versions of the USDA bill were reported from the House appropriations committee and approved in the Senate.


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Congress returned from its August recess last week and took no action on putting together a plan to avoid a Federal government shutdown. There are now 22 days until the end of the federal fiscal year when the government runs out of funding authority. Republican Congressional leaders and the Trump White House are still strategizing about how to keep the agencies open beyond Sept. 30. None of the 12 appropriations bills has yet been completed and only a few have actually reached the floor in their respective chambers. Congress is in session this week and next, but then lawmakers depart for a week for Rosh Hashanah.


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