I still despise CRs. I expect 12 apportionment bills this fall. That said... this might work.
www.govtrack.us
The most important section in the bill:
Flexibility in Apportionment Rates:
Conservative Highlights of H.R. 9747: Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025
Summary
H.R. 9747 reflects conservative priorities by maintaining fiscal discipline, prioritizing national security and veterans’ support, avoiding new regulatory or spending burdens, and focusing on continuity of essential government functions. Its short-term nature ensures Congress retains control over future budgetary decisions, while its targeted extensions (e.g., for agriculture, defense, and veterans) address key conservative constituencies without overextending federal authority. The bill’s lack of progressive policy riders and emphasis on oversight further align it with limited-government principles.
Text of H.R. 9747 (118th): Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (Passed Congress version) - GovTrack.us
Text of H.R. 9747 (118th): Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, … as of Sep 26, 2024 (Passed Congress version). H.R. 9747 (118th): Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025
www.govtrack.us
The most important section in the bill:
Flexibility in Apportionment Rates:
- Section 103 allows apportionment of funds “to the extent and in the manner” of prior acts, but does not mandate full expenditure. Agencies could be directed to operate below maximum rates, reducing costs in areas like the Departments of Commerce, Justice, or Interior (Section 101(2), (7)).
Conservative Highlights of H.R. 9747: Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025
- Maintains Fiscal Continuity Without Excessive New Spending:
- Extends funding for federal operations at fiscal year 2024 levels through March 14, 2025 (Section 106), avoiding a government shutdown without introducing significant new budgetary increases.
- Limits appropriations to “such amounts as may be necessary” at the prior year’s rate (Section 101), reflecting a conservative preference for maintaining existing spending levels rather than expanding government.
- Avoids Long-Term Budget Commitments:
- Sets a short-term funding deadline of March 14, 2025 (Section 106(3)), allowing Congress flexibility to reassess and adjust spending rather than locking in long-term obligations, a conservative approach to fiscal oversight.
- Preserves Existing Appropriations Frameworks:
- Incorporates funding under the authority and conditions of multiple 2024 appropriations acts (e.g., Agriculture, Defense, Homeland Security, etc., listed in Section 101), maintaining continuity and avoiding disruptive overhauls that might expand government scope.
- Supports Agricultural Stability:
- Ensures continued funding for the Farm Service Agency’s Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund Program Account (Section 116), allowing apportionment to meet approved farm loan applications, a nod to rural conservative constituencies reliant on agricultural support.
- Prioritizes Rural Community Development:
- Permits apportionment of funds for the Rural Housing Service’s Rural Community Facilities Program Account (Section 117) to maintain activities under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, supporting rural infrastructure without mandating new federal overreach.
- Enhances National Security Funding Flexibility:
- Provides an additional $47,000,000 for the District of Columbia’s Federal Payment for Emergency Planning and Security Costs (Section 126) specifically for the 2025 Presidential Inauguration, ensuring security without broad, unchecked spending increases.
- Limits Bureaucratic Overreach:
- Amends the Federal Payment to the District of Columbia Public Defender Service (Section 127) by striking language related to relocation costs, preventing unnecessary expenditure on administrative expansion and focusing funds on core services.
- Extends Veterans’ Programs Efficiently:
- Extends expiring Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) authorities through March 14, 2025 (Section 201), including home loan fee waivers and telehealth provisions, supporting veterans without creating new permanent entitlements.
- Maintains Accountability in Veterans’ Spending:
- Extends the VA’s expenditure reporting requirements (Section 202) through March 14, 2025, ensuring transparency and oversight of taxpayer dollars, a key conservative principle.
- Supports Military Housing Stability:
- Extends the temporary authority for military personnel to sublease privatized housing (Section 203) through March 14, 2025, offering practical support to service members without expanding federal housing programs.
- Preserves Law Enforcement Funding:
- Continues funding for the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2024 (Section 101(6)), except for specific carve-outs, ensuring border security and law enforcement operations remain intact, a conservative priority.
- Avoids New Regulatory Burdens:
- Lacks provisions imposing new regulations or mandates on states, businesses, or individuals, aligning with conservative resistance to government overregulation.
- Ensures Defense Readiness:
- Maintains funding for the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2024 (Section 101(3)), supporting military preparedness without introducing progressive policy shifts or cuts to defense spending.
- Limits Emergency Spending Designations:
- Applies strict conditions to emergency funding designations (Section 103), ensuring that only previously designated emergency funds (e.g., from Public Law 117–159) retain that status, reflecting conservative skepticism of overuse of “emergency” labels to bypass budget caps.
- Encourages Timely Budget Resolution:
- Includes a provision (Section 105) stating that discretionary budget authority rescissions continue unless superseded by a new budget resolution by March 14, 2025, incentivizing Congress to adhere to regular order—a conservative goal for disciplined budgeting.
- Supports Energy Sector Stability:
- Continues funding for the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 (Section 101(4)), ensuring energy infrastructure projects proceed without disruption, appealing to conservative energy independence priorities.
- Maintains Judicial Funding Without Expansion:
- Extends funding for the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2024 (Section 101(5)), including judicial operations, without adding new courts or bureaucratic layers, consistent with limited government ideals.
- Protects Taxpayer Funds from Waste:
- Omits funding for controversial or non-essential programs (e.g., Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies excluded in Section 101(9)), focusing resources on core government functions.
- Extends Practical Health Care Access for Veterans:
- Extends VA telehealth authority (Section 201(c)) and agreements with American Indian entities (Section 201(d)) through March 14, 2025, enhancing veterans’ care access efficiently without broad new federal health care expansions.
- Reinforces Legislative Oversight:
- Incorporates Section 7 of Public Law 118–47 (Section 101(9)), allowing the Legislative Branch to continue operations while preserving Congress’s ability to oversee executive actions, a conservative check-and-balance priority.
- Avoids Progressive Policy Riders:
- Contains no provisions advancing progressive social agendas (e.g., climate mandates, equity initiatives), focusing solely on appropriations and extensions, aligning with conservative resistance to ideological overreach in spending bills.
- Facilitates Smooth Transition Post-Enactment:
- Includes retroactive applicability if enacted after September 30, 2024 (Section 127(b)(2)), ensuring government continuity without penalizing delays, a pragmatic conservative approach to governance.
- Limits Foreign Aid Expansion:
- Extends the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024 (Section 101(11)), without adding new foreign aid commitments beyond existing levels, reflecting conservative caution on international spending.
- Preserves Transportation Infrastructure Funding:
- Continues funding for the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 (Section 101(12)), supporting infrastructure without mandating costly new urban development programs.
Summary
H.R. 9747 reflects conservative priorities by maintaining fiscal discipline, prioritizing national security and veterans’ support, avoiding new regulatory or spending burdens, and focusing on continuity of essential government functions. Its short-term nature ensures Congress retains control over future budgetary decisions, while its targeted extensions (e.g., for agriculture, defense, and veterans) address key conservative constituencies without overextending federal authority. The bill’s lack of progressive policy riders and emphasis on oversight further align it with limited-government principles.
