For the first time in 12 years, the House has finished all regular appropriations bills prior to the beginning of the next fiscal year. However, expected slow action in the Senate will delay a FY 2018 spending blueprint until December – at the earliest.The House approved an omnibus appropriations bill for FY 2018 on 14 September, the first time it has passed all the appropriations for the upcoming fiscal year in a dozen years (for FY 2006). The 12 appropriations bills, however, were passed as two packages rather than individually in accordance with regular order. It approved the first on 27 July, a $700 billion package that consolidated the four bills for the defense department (including military construction) and the legislative branch as...

TAGS – Energy