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Congress passes funding bill to avert shutdown
The Senate and House have passed a bipartisan spending bill to allocate funds to nine federal departments ahead of tonight's deadline. Although it does not include all of the president's requested funds for the proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, he is expected to sign it and avert another partial government shutdown.
Funding for the departments – allotted in the deal to end the 35-day shutdown last month – was set to expire at midnight today. The bill provides funding through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year.
In addition, the package includes NAFCU-sought report language seeking clarifications and review of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements and the Americans with Disabilities Act's (ADA) website accessibility requirements.
NAFCU this week reiterated to the FCC its concerns related to the definition of an automatic telephone dialing system (ATDS) and other TCPA issues; NAFCU has advocated for a narrower definition of the FCC's 2015 Declaratory Ruling and Order.
On ADA, NAFCU has been active over the past year seeking clarity and defending credit unions against meritless lawsuits; the association has engaged with the Justice Department and Congress to provide guidance.
The package also includes NAFCU-sought funding for credit union priorities, including the NCUA's Community Development Revolving Loan Fund (CDRLF) at $2 million, Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund at $250 million and the Small Business Administration's Business Loans Program account.
NAFCU also monitored this deal as a potential vehicle for a tax extenders and fixes package; however, these provisions were not included.