Federal Managers Association

Press Release

• FMA STATEMENT ON SENATE PASSAGE OF CONTINUING RESOLUTION - September 30, 2020
• Alexandria, VA – Earlier tonight, September 30, the U.S. Senate approved a Continuing Resolution (CR) providing government funding through December 11, 2020. The final vote was 84 - 10. Federal Managers Association (FMA) National President Craig Carter made the following statement in response to its passage:
  
  
  “As I said last week when the House passed the continuing resolution, a CR is preferable to a government shutdown. But preferable in this case does not amount to desirable, except when put against the catastrophe of a government shutdown. Regrettably, this is the exact situation we find ourselves in yet again.
  
  
  “FMA acknowledges the House’s efforts to fully fund the government through Fiscal Year 2021. The House successfully passed ten of twelve spending bills before the August recess, and did significant work on all twelve. We are disappointed that we once again had to look to a CR mere hours before the end of the fiscal year.
   
  “Continuing resolutions kneecap the ability of the government and the military to plan for the fiscal year ahead. Key positions cannot be filled with new hires. Critical projects cannot begin because there is no guarantee they will be funded by the eventual budget, and a lack of resources to lay the groundwork even if they are funded. Contractors and small businesses suffer unnecessarily. The total cost to taxpayers and the government as a result of the uncertainty from any CR is reliably in the billions of dollars. 
  
  
  “FMA implores Congress to come together and fully fund FY21. We urge the Senate to return to regular order in carrying out its constitutionally mandated duty of passing all twelve appropriations bills in a timely manner going forward. Passing these spending bills is critical to enabling federal workers and agencies to carry out their crucial missions on behalf of the American people. In the meantime, we urge President Trump to immediately sign this CR into law.”

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