After passing the Corporate Tax Bill on Columbus Day, the Senate approved with little debate measures to fund both the Military Construction and Homeland Security appropriations bills for FY 2005, which began Oct. 1. Together with the Defense and the District of Columbia appropriations bills Congress recently approved, these bring the total passed to only four of the thirteen bills needed to fund discretionary spending for FY 2005.

After much speculation, and on the final day of the fiscal year, the House and Senate passed a continuing resolution (CR) (H.J. Res. 107) to fund non-defense government programs and agencies, and other expiring programs, at current levels through Nov. 20. The CR was needed because Congress failed to perform one of its key duties on time -- the appropriation of funds for government programs. Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (MD) observed, "The Republicans' failure to pass appropriation bills on time has real-world consequences to real people, to states, localities, municipalities, and every individual."

It is important to remember the magnitude of the federal budget process on the outcome of community results. While budget process issues are often arcane and sometimes difficult to determine the affects on results, in the case of several of the president’s proposals, the purpose is very clear—to make tax cuts easier to pass and expansion of government services more difficult.

Congress has completed only three of the 13 appropriations bills for fiscal year 2004, which began Oct. 1. In the meantime, several continuing resolutions -- which continue funding at last year’s levels -- have kept the government afloat.