December 5, 2011 –  On November 18, President Obama signed P.L. 112-36, the 2012 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act.  The bill is the third stopgap spending measure enacted for the federal fiscal year (FY) that began on October 1, 2011.  Also referred to as a “minibus” (a legislative vehicle by which Congress can vote on a package of bills), the bill finalizes spending for three of the 12 discretionary spending bills for FY 2012:  Agriculture, Commerce/Science/Justice, and Transportation/HUD.  Importantly, it also contains a fourth provision -- a continuing resolution (CR) -- that will allow federal agencies and programs funded under the other nine appropriations bills to continue operating through December 16, 2011.  

 

Congressional leaders are currently negotiating final versions of the nine remaining bills, and are expected to produce a year-end spending package that would roll all nine bills into a single "omnibus" spending measure.  According to recent news reports, appropriators have indicated that a package could be completed and voted on before the current CR expires on December 16.

 

For detail on various federal humanities programs under the House and Senate versions of the FY 2012 spending bills, see the following news updates:  NEH, Title VI/Fulbright-Hays, Teaching American History, NHPRC. 

 

[This article posted by: Jessica Irons.]