H.R. 9770: Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027

This bill would temporarily fund many federal government programs for fiscal year 2027 by extending, at generally the same operating level as fiscal year 2026, the authority and funding from a set of existing appropriations laws. In plain terms, it is a continuing resolution, which is a short-term spending measure used to keep government operations going when regular annual appropriations bills have not been finalized.

What it does

• Continues funding for a wide range of federal departments and agencies, including Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science, Defense, Energy and Water, Financial Services, Homeland Security, Interior-Environment, Labor-HHS-Education, the Legislative Branch, Military Construction-VA, State and Foreign Operations, and Transportation-HUD.
• Generally funds these agencies at rates based on fiscal year 2026 levels, subject to the same terms and conditions that applied in those laws.
• Keeps these funds available only until the earliest of:
  • the date a full year appropriation for that activity is enacted,
  • the date a fiscal year 2027 appropriations law is enacted without that activity, or
  • December 4, 2026.

Limits on new spending and changes

• For the Department of Defense, the bill generally prevents the money from being used to start new programs or production lines that were not funded in fiscal year 2026, increase production rates above 2026 levels, or restart projects that were not active in 2026.
• It also bars the Pentagon from starting certain multi-year procurements using advance procurement funding for economic order quantity purchases unless Congress later specifically approves them.
• Across the government, the bill says funds should be used in the most limited way needed to keep current projects and activities running.

Mandatory programs and special provisions

• It continues certain mandatory payments and entitlement-related spending that were previously funded through 2026 appropriations, including some nutrition-related programs.
• It specifically allows funding for the WIC nutrition program to be apportioned at a level needed to maintain participation.
• It allows some civilian personnel funding to be used to help avoid furloughs, but only after agencies take steps to reduce or delay non-personnel administrative costs.
• It allows funding for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to support disaster response and recovery activities.
• It provides additional funding for Indian Health Service staffing and operations for facilities opened, renovated, or expanded in certain fiscal years.
• It extends or updates several deadline-based authorities and reporting rules, including some agriculture, flood insurance, and Social Security-related provisions.

Other provisions

• It allows certain previously designated emergency or disaster-related amounts to continue being treated that way for budget purposes.
• It carries forward some rescissions or cancellations of unused budget authority and requires OMB to report them to Congress.
• It allows the District of Columbia to spend local funds under specified local budget rules.
• It includes a provision stating that no cost-of-living adjustment will be made for Members of Congress during the covered period.
• It appropriates payments of $174,000 each to the widow of former Representative David A. Scott and to the heirs at law of former Senator Lindsey O. Graham.

Relevant Companies

• LMT — A defense contractor that could be affected by the bill’s limits on new Defense Department production and procurement, which may delay or constrain some contract awards or program expansions.
• NOC — A defense contractor that could be affected in a similar way through Defense Department funding held near prior-year levels and restrictions on starting new work.
• RTX — A defense and aerospace contractor that could be impacted by restrictions on new Pentagon programs and procurement increases.
• BA — A major defense supplier that could be affected by Department of Defense spending limits and delays in new procurement activity.
• TMUS — Potentially affected indirectly only if federal funding decisions influence government communications or procurement programs, though no direct company-specific provision appears in the bill.