The house and senate again failed to agree on spending language by the midnight deadline, therefore shutting down the government for a few hours overnight. President Trump signed the continuing resolution into law a few hours later, but the spending battle is far from over.
This spending bill was paired with defense spending and a large relief fund for hurricane victims. Many of our faithful grassroots leaders were impacted by the hurricane, and we all remember stories of communities and churches coming together to help each other rebuild. Houses of worship were not immune from the impacts of the hurricane, and they should also be eligible for aid. The President himself noted this. Finally, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 includes language allowing for houses of worship and religious schools to be eligible for FEMA disaster aid. We will continue to work with House and Senate leadership to assure this provision makes it through the budget process.