In August, Congress approved a bipartisan two-year budget deal for fiscal years 2020 and 2021. The agreement raises overall spending caps for defense and non-defense discretionary programs by $321 billion over two years. Funding for domestic programs will increase by 4.5%, or $27 billion, over the FY19 level.
NLC’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget tracker tracks specific FY20 spending bills as they are introduced so you can find where the numbers stand on the programs that matter most to your city, town or village. You can easily search for your bill priorities by searching through the drop-down menus, which are organized by federal agency.
Though the August budget deal, which NLC supported, lessens the possibility of another federal government shutdown, Congress must still pass the 12 annual appropriations bills. It is important to note: the budget bill is different from the spending bills. First, Congress passes the budget, establishing overall spending levels. Then, Congress passes spending (appropriations) bills that allocate that funding to specific programs.
This year, Congress was unable to pass any spending bills by the fiscal year deadline of October 1st. Instead, Congress approved a short term, stopgap funding measure, or Continuing Resolution, to keep the government open and operating until November 21st, by which time Congress must pass the spending bills or another Continuing Resolution to prevent another government shutdown.
NLC opposes government shutdowns.
For more information on funding for specific priorities, visit NLC’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget tracker. NLC updates the tracker as FY20 spending bills are introduced. Search through the drop-down menus, organized by federal agency, to find where the numbers currently stand for the programs that matter most to your city, town or village.
About the Author: 
Michael Wallace is the Program Director for Community and Economic Development at the National League of Cities. Follow him on Twitter @MikeWallaceII.