In the final hours before a deadline for a lapse in federal appropriations, both houses of Congress passed and the President signed a Continuing Resolution that would keep the federal government open for business until November 17, 2023. This will give Congress enough time to pass agency funding from that point forward. This will mean that the FCC will remain "business as usual" on Monday, October 1 and will not impact various upcoming activities such as the upcoming Commission vote on an NPRM to reinstate net neutrality, the Reply Comment filing deadline for the proposed changes in HD Radio operating power, the Emergency Alert System National Periodic Test and the Third Generation Low Power FM Filing Window. The legislation also assures that those traveling by air to this year's Grassroots Radio Conference are not impacted by any potential travel delays in the federal air traffic control system and the Transportation Security Administration.
While REC does not take partisan positions, we are relieved that Congress was able to reach a bipartisan position when it was needed most. This also means that all of our federal public servants, from career FCC staff to our military will continue to be paid and receive their benefits for the hard work they all do every day. Stakeholders in the LPFM and broadcast advocacy communities can now continue with our efforts without the distraction of a government shutdown looming. It is business as usual, for now.
