U.S. Government Averts Shutdown as Budget Negotiations Loom

President Barack Obama signed a measure last week to fund the federal government at fiscal year 2015 levels through Dec. 11, averting a government shutdown.

The measure easily passed the Senate by a 78 to 20 vote and the House by a vote of 277 to 151. The funding provision was part of H.R. 719, a transportation bill.

The president and lawmakers have nine weeks to avoid a shutdown and work out a longer-term budget deal through the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2016.

In event of a shutdown, an FDA contingency plan provided for limited activities related to user fee-funded programs.

The agency also would have maintained certain critical activities, such as emergency consumer protection, enacting high-risk recalls, civil and criminal investigations and import entry review. — Kellen Owings