PSC Welcomes Signing of Full-Year Appropriations Package and CR Urges Congress to Pass Remaining Appropriations Bills by Dec. 7

Arlington, Va. (Oct. 1, 2018)— The Professional Services Council (PSC) welcomes the timely enactment of full-year appropriations for many federal agencies for Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19), which begins today. With Friday’s presidential signature of H.R. 6157 (the Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019), government operations and services are fully funded for the year. The Act’s continuing resolution (CR) provision will sustain operations of additional agencies through Dec. 7 of this year, and PSC urges Congress to act promptly to pass appropriations for these agencies. 

“This is the first time in more than a decade that most federal agencies can begin the fiscal year under full appropriations and not under a CR,” said David Berteau, PSC president and CEO. “Today’s enactment removes the constraints and uncertainties that come with a CR and ensures the continuation of vital government operations, from national security to citizen services. It also provides the stability and predictability contractors need to help the work to be done more efficiently.”

Berteau notes that this enactment is more than just preventing a government shutdown or implementing stop-gap funding to get to the next agreement; this is a full year of funding, built upon carefully-constructed plans that were reviewed, marked up, and passed by appropriations subcommittees, both full committees, both houses of Congress, and vetted with the executive branch agencies that will execute them. 

Along with the passage and presidential signature last week of PL 115-244 (which funded Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, Energy and Water, and Legislative Branch operations), Friday’s enactment of H.R. 6157 means that much of the government—at least 75%—can continue the work that was begun under FY18 appropriations enacted earlier this year.  Even agencies that begin FY19 under a CR do so with funding that—in most cases—matches last year’s level, reducing uncertainty and maintaining continuity of effort.

“PSC readily acknowledges the hard work of the Congress and the Executive Branch that was required to break the long cycle of continuing resolutions,” Berteau said. “The results not only support better delivery of services and mission support for the government, but also holds promise for future budgets and fiscal years.”

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Media Contact: 
Ashlei Stevens
Director, Media Relations
703.875.8974
stevens@pscouncil.org 

About PSC: PSC is the voice of the government technology and professional services industry. PSC’s nearly 400-member companies represent small, medium and large businesses that provide federal agencies with services of all kinds, including information technology, engineering, logistics, facilities management, operations and maintenance, consulting, international development, scientific, social, environmental services, and more. Together, the trade association’s members employ hundreds of thousands of Americans in all 50 states. Follow PSC on Twitter @PSCSpeaks. To learn more, visit www.pscouncil.org.