Congress Punts FY 2022 Funding Until February

What happened: The House and Senate Dec. 2 passed a measure to keep federal transportation and other government programs funded at FY 2021 levels until Feb. 18, 2022.

Why it matters: While the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) signed into law Nov. 15 provides an authorization of surface transportation programs, lawmakers must approve a full FY 2022 appropriations package before the spending levels are fully available to state and local governments. While the delay in final FY 2022 funding enactment is not likely to hamper state transportation departments and other agencies from moving forward on projects, the interim measure reinforces that realizing the IIJA’s historic investment levels will require annual diligence.

What’s next: President Joe Biden signed the measure before government funding expired Dec. 3.