The changing terrain: Government shutdown?
Congress has until today, Friday Dec. 9, to avoid a government shutdown. The House introduced a short-term Continuing Resolution on Tuesday that would prevent a shutdown and keep the government running through April 28, 2017. The bill maintains the current budget cap level of $1.07 trillion, and includes $5.8 billion Overseas Contingency Funding for the Department of Defense and $4.3 billion for the State Department/USAID. One provision in the bill prevents an increase in pay for members of Congress. The House approved the measure yesterday and it is now with the Senate, which has until midnight to approve it and send to the president for his signature.
Military families* surveyed in the most recent First Command Financial Behaviors Index® have greater confidence that Congress will avoid a shutdown than their civilian counterparts. Seventy-two percent of military families are at least somewhat confident that a shutdown will be avoided compared to 55 percent of civilians who participated in the survey. However, 64 percent of military families are at least somewhat anxious about the possibility of a shutdown compared to 50 percent of the general population.
*Commissioned officers and senior NCOs in pay grades E-5 and above with household incomes of at least $50,000 surveyed via the First Command Financial Behaviors Index®. Source: The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations
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