On Nov. 30, 2024, fiscal year (FY) 2024 came to an end. Due to Congress's failure to pass appropriations bills to fund the government, it, in practice, basically extended 2024's FY spending levels from Oct. 1, 2024 to March 14, 2025 under a continuing resolution.

Congress has repeatedly extended deadlines to pass appropriations bills. Since 2014, its members have not been able to put them together on time once.

Following this, on March 15, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump signed the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025.

While it is somewhat similar to to the prior FY's spending, there have also been a few changes.

The Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) has had its funding increased to $7.59 billion, an over $500 million boost.

$3.9 billion dollars has been allocated from the Unemployment Trust Fund to state grants in order to distribute unemployment insurance laws.

Project based rental assistance and tenant-based rental assistance funding has increased by $480 million and $3.6 billion, respectively.

Advance funding for programs such as Medicaid payments to states, foster care, child support enforcement and family support programs has been implemented by the billions.

Funding for defense spending has increased.

Project based rental assistance and tenant-based rental assistance funding has increased but rent subsidies for low-income or working class Americans have been decreased by over $700 million.

The bill cuts funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by $280 million which reduces the ability for researchers to continue studying diseases including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, maternal mortality among others.

Many studies have been abruptly stopped.

By $20 million, full funding of the Emergency Food Program (TEFAP) has not been granted. This may leave approximately 25,000 eligible seniors unable to participate in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.

But $4 billion is being given to the Federal Aviation Administration.

This decision, according to ranking House member Rosa DeLauro, is,

"enabling Elon Musk to direct contracts to Starlink and SpaceX (companies owned by Musk) at a time when unvetted and unchecked SpaceX employees have burrowed in the FAA (the same Federal agency that regulates SpaceX),with no requirement for public transparency, fair competition, or Congressional approval."

The resolution also cuts $185 million dollars (or 7%) of the funding for Nuclear Nonproliferation programs, slashes $2 billion in local transportation safety projects among many other changes.

Those interested in reading the entirety of the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 can do so here.