Two major efforts are underway at the same time impacting the federal budget and appropriations – what should be sequential instead will overlap for months, or maybe the rest of the year.

Be prepared to trip over terminologies between the FY 2024 appropriations to fund our government now (six months late and counting) and the idealistic FY 2025 budget request from President Joe Biden (five weeks late) intended for execution in October of this year.

[TAKE ACTION: Ask Your Legislators to Pass Appropriations on Time]

First thing’s first: Congress must energize the lagging FY 2024 appropriations. Unfortunately, lawmakers’ go-to solution is to use continuing resolutions to extend the ongoing debates between parties and chambers. Funding our government remains the priority to avert a government shutdown.