Congressional leaders have passed a funding bill that will keep agencies without full-year Appropriations open until December 21^st.  This provides time to firm up potential support for a border wall as well as pet Congressional projects.  The move means that there will be no shutdown for the time being.  What happens as we near 12/21, though, is harder to predict.  Right now, it seems that agencies not related to border wall or immigration issues stand a good chance of receiving appropriations for the remainder of the year as part of any deal Congress does pass.  While many in Congress are surely tempted to kick the remaining spending issues to the new Congress, President Trump will most definitely not take such a stance.  Funding for the border wall is really only achievable before the new Congress is sworn in as Democrats will then control the House.  Expect pressure from the White House to get something done that, at a minimum, addresses border wall funding now.  In the meantime, contractors are reminded that agencies without full-year appropriations can’t spend appropriated money on new project starts and can’t agree to full-year renewal on lease or maintenance agreements.  The status of some agencies’ appropriations will almost certainly come down to the wire.