Congress Nears Sept. 30 Deadline to Avoid Government Shutdown

Next Friday, September 30, is the end of the fiscal year and the deadline for Congress to pass a stopgap spending bill to extend funding for federal agencies and avoid a government shutdown. Senate leaders hope to pass a stopgap bill to fund operations temporarily until mid-December. If a deal isn’t reached and funding runs out, federal services would close completely or face significant strain. Additionally, a portion of federal government employees would have their paychecks deferred.