After Historic 43-day Federal Government Shutdown, Congress Reaches Funding Deal – IFPTE Weighs-in
IFPTE sent a letter to the Senate and House lawmakers this week providing qualified support for the “Continuing Appropriations Act 2026,” to fund the government to January 30, 2026, noting that, “Ending this shutdown is long overdue, and this bipartisan deal, while far from optimal, should be passed at this point,” while also emphasizing that IFPTE remains, “committed to advocating for Congressional passage of the remainder of FY26 Appropriations bills and will continue to request language that protects Congress’s appropriations powers and Congressional intent from unlawful impoundments.”
IFPTE’s support for this continuing resolution (CR) is qualified by the union’s disappointment that the funding measure fails to address the unchecked overreach by the Administration on impounding and withholding government funding provided by Congress. Before the lapse in government funding that started on October 1 and throughout the shutdown, “IFPTE has consistently requested that Congress work towards a moderate and rational bipartisan position to protect the Legislative Branch’s constitutional power under the Appropriations Clause and Spending Clause,” the letter stated. Unfortunately, this CR does nothing to reaffirm and uphold Congress’s power of the purse. Language to protect Congress’s power was proposed by Senate Appropriations Committee Vice-Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) in the Democratic-backed bill to provide short term government funding that was introduced on September 17.
IFPTE’s letter notes with approval the inclusion of a prohibition on federal agencies conducting Reductions in Force (RIFs) during the term of the CR. IFPTE also applauded the inclusion of three Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills in the CR, including the Legislative Branch appropriations bill “that maintain current funding levels and will allow agencies such as the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Congressional Research Service (CRS) to provide authoritative and objective information to Congress and support Congressional oversight and accountability over the federal government.”
IFPTE’s letter to the House also notes our concern with “the inclusion of a retroactive provision in Division C, Section 213, that allows a Senator to sue the federal government for at least $500,000 if the government subpoenas a Senator’s phone records without prior notification – Congress should repeal this provision, as it creates the appearance of corruption and undermines public trust in Congress.”