The October 2013 mini-continuing resolutions were a set of continuing resolutions that would have provided funding for a limited set of federal agencies during the United States federal government shutdown of 2013. The bills were part of a Republican strategy to fund portions of the government which have bipartisan support, in order to spare those agencies and programs from the effects of the shutdown. The bills all passed the United States House of Representatives during the 113th United States Congress, but (with one exception) were ignored by the United States Senate. These selective continuing resolutions became moot upon the passage of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014 which funded the entire government, ending the shutdown.
On October 1, 2013, the federal government shut down due to a failure of the United States Congress to pass any appropriation legislation – regular or in the form of a continuing resolution – in order to fund the government in fiscal year 2014. In reaction to this shutdown, the Republican-led House of Representatives began introducing and passing a series of mini-continuing resolutions that would continue to fund smaller pieces of the government.
The Senate adjourned on October 7, 2013 with no solid plans to vote on any of the mini continuing resolutions on October 8, 2013. This was consistent with previous statements that the Senate would ignore the "piecemeal" or "mini" spending bills that were passed by the House. President Obama released a statement that if he were presented with H.J.Res. 77, he would veto the bill. The statement indicated that the president would veto all mini-appropriations bills because "consideration of appropriations bills in this fashion is not a serious or responsible way to run the United States Government." As a result, chances of the bill becoming law were considered to be "slim to none."
Background Congress annually considers several appropriations measures, which provide funding for numerous activities. Appropriations measures are under the jurisdiction of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. In recent years these measures have provided approximately 35% to 39% of total federal spending, with the remainder comprising mandatory spending and net interest on the public debt. If regular bills are not enacted by the beginning of the new fiscal year on October 1, Congress adopts continuing resolutions to continue funding, generally until regular bills are enacted.
Fiscal year 2014 in the United States began on October 1, 2013. At that time, the government shutdown because no money had been appropriated to continue funding the government. Congress had not passed any of the introduced regular appropriation bills from earlier in 2013. In late September 2013, when it became clear that a shutdown was imminent, Congress began working on a continuing resolution, Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 (H.J.Res 59), that would temporarily fund the government. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives on September 20, 2013. It would have funded the government until December 15, 2013, but also included measures to delay the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. The Senate stripped the bill of the measures related to the Affordable Care Act, and passed it in revised form on Friday, September 27, 2013. The House put similar measures back and passed it again in the early morning hours on Sunday, September 29. The Senate refused to pass the bill while it still had measures to delay the Affordable Care Act, and the two sides could not develop a compromise bill by midnight on Monday, September 30, 2013, causing the federal government to shut down due to a lack of appropriated funds.
After the shutdown, the House and the Senate both continued to work on legislation that would restore funding to the government. House Republicans began writing "mini-appropriation" bills – continuing resolutions that would fund smaller pieces of the government.
Provisions in general This summary is based largely on the summary provided by the Congressional Research Service, a public domain source.
Each bill would require the rate of operations for each such account to be calculated to reflect the full amount of any reduction required in FY2013 pursuant to: (1) the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013, and (2) the presidential sequestration order dated March 1, 2013, except as attributable to budget authority made available by the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-2).
They would also make appropriations and funds made available and authority granted under this joint resolution available until whichever of the following first occurs: (1) enactment into law of an appropriation for any project or activity provided for in this joint resolution, (2) enactment into law of the applicable appropriations Act for FY2014 without any provision for such project or activity, or (3) December 15, 2013.
The bills would require implementation of this joint resolution so that only the most limited funding action be taken in order to provide for continuation of projects and activities.
The bills would authorize amounts made available for civilian personnel compensation and benefits in each agency to be apportioned up to the rate for operations necessary to avoid furloughs in such agencies, consistent with the applicable appropriations Act for FY2013, except that such authority shall not be used until after the agency has taken all necessary actions to reduce or defer non-personnel-related administrative expenses.
Commentary On October 7, 2013, conservative columnist Jim Geraghty of National Review Online accused Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of sadism for refusing to bring H.J.Res. 85 and several other mini-continuing resolutions to the Senate floor for a vote, saying that "Harry Reid doesn't want to minimize the pain of the shutdown. He wants to maximize it." Geraghty argued that if Harry Reid did bring these bills to the Senate floor, they would pass.
Speaking in favor of the bill, House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers said that "the nine bills the House has passed since Oct. 1 to reopen the government — this will be the tenth — constitute nearly one-third of the federal government's discretionary budget." So, he asked, "why are these bills still sitting on Harry Reid's desk? Why is the Senate not making every stride they can to help our nation's disadvantaged children, hungry families and our veterans?" Democrats responded by repeating their demands that the House pass a "clean" continuing resolution.
The bills National Park Service Operations and Capital Museums
The National Park Service Operations, Smithsonian Institution, National Gallery of Art, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 () would provide funding for the National Park Service, which is the United States federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties. It would also provide funding for the Smithsonian Institution, a group of museums and research centers, and other major museums affected by the shutdown.
The bill would make appropriations for FY2014 for continuing projects or activities that were conducted in FY2013 and for which appropriations, funds, or other authority were made available by the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (division F of P.L. 113-6) under the following headings:This summary is based largely on the summary provided by the Congressional Research Service, a public domain source. "Department of the Interior--National Park Service--Operation of the National Park System," "United States Holocaust Memorial Museum--Holocaust Memorial Museum," "Smithsonian Institution," and "National Gallery of Art."
All 401 units of the National Park System have been closed to the public since the shutdown began, as Congress has not appropriated funding for their operations and maintenance. If H.J.Res. 70 were to pass, it would fund the operation and maintenance of these parks. Some conservative pundits, including Reince Priebus chair of the RNC, and some Republican lawmakers, including U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, have charged that some of the closures are unnecessary and being overzealously enforced at the behest of the Obama administration. The National Park Service has responded that it is legally mandated to protect national park lands and, in the absence of available staff to patrol, maintain and administer the areas, must close them to the public. The vast majority of the agency's staff have been furloughed, leaving only a limited number of law enforcement rangers and firefighters on duty to protect life and property.NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CONTINGENCY PLAN , National Park Service Richard Seamon, a law professor at the University of Idaho and former assistant solicitor general, told the Christian Science Monitor that the NPS risked vandalism, crime and legal liability if it left its properties open to the public during the shutdown. "If I were a lawyer for the Park Service, I'd advise it in no uncertain terms to close the parks to the public during the government shutdown, because it would be irresponsible to do otherwise. There are bound to be accidents or crimes that would have been avoided or ameliorated had officials been on duty to respond or patrol." Leaving the parks open, he said, "would be a veritable open season for criminals."Government shutdown: Do national parks really need to be barricaded?, Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, October 3, 2013 A number of privately operated enterprises, such as the Claude Moore Colonial Farm, have also been required to close because they operate on or within National Park Service property that has been closed to the public. Various concession-operated visitor amenities have also been closed because the NPS staff who oversee concessionaires have been furloughed, preventing the agency from managing and directing concession operations. Pisgah Inn, a private business on the Blue Ridge Parkway which operates under a concession agreement with the NPS, attempted to defy the closure order. On Oct 4, park rangers blocked the entrance to the inn and turned away visitors.
On the first day of the shutdown, a large group of World War II veterans participating in an Honor Flight trip from Mississippi to the National World War II Memorial ignored the closure by the National Park Service and entered the memorial, alongside members of Congress of both political parties. The National Park Service declared that the gathering was protected by the First Amendment and rangers allowed the veterans to enter. The memorial is normally open to the public and patrolled by the U.S. Park Police 24 hours daily, and staffed by interpretive park rangers from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.Operating Hours & Seasons – World War II Memorial – National Park Service, National Park Service
District of Columbia
The District of Columbia Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 () would provide funding for Washington, D.C., which has only limited autonomy from the federal government.
The bill would allow the District of Columbia to expend local funds under the heading "District of Columbia Funds" for such programs and activities under title IV of H.R. 2786 (113th Congress), as reported by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, at the rate set forth under "District of Columbia Funds--Summary of Expenses" as included in the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Request Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-127), as modified as of the date of the enactment of this joint resolution.This summary is based largely on the summary provided by the Congressional Research Service, a public domain source.