As Congress begins its lame-duck session, one item that construction groups and companies will be studying closely is the fate of appropriations legislation to fund federal agencies, including their construction and infrastructure programs, through next Sept. 30, the end of the 2021 fiscal year.

Lawmakers face a deadline. Since Oct. 1, agencies and departments have been operating, generally at fiscal 2020 levels, under a stopgap continuing resolution, or CR. It expires Dec. 11.