Congress again avoided a partial government shutdown last week by passing a short-term spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), to fund the federal government.

Last week’s CR reauthorized all government programs, but, like its predecessor, it divided the budget in half along the same lines as it had previously, using two separate expiration dates. The most recent CR extends funding for government programs previously set to expire on March 1 until March 8. Funding for the rest of the federal government, previously set to expire on March 8, is now set to expire on March 22. This stopgap CR is expected to allow Congress more time to negotiate and pass appropriations bills that will carry the federal government through the remainder of fiscal year 2024.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) will now be funded through March 22. The NFIP’s latest extension represents its 29^th short-term extension since 2017. The NFIP’s most recent five-year reauthorization expired in 2017, and, in advance of that deadline, the 115^th Congress was unable to agree on NFIP reforms, leading to a seemingly endless string of short-term extensions.

PIA supports a long-term reauthorization of the program with needed reforms, like investments in agent training, updated mapping, and a means-tested affordability program. However, Congress remains unable to agree on reforms to the program. Without comprehensive reforms, the reauthorization of the current program as-is remains a subject of fierce debate on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers of Congress.

PIA will continue to work with lawmakers to bolster support for reforming and reauthorizing the NFIP on a long-term basis.