The bicameral Conference Committee on the differing provisions of the House and Senate versions on the General Appropriations Bill (House Bill No. 2454) has decided to work during the Christmas break to finalize the forging of a reconciled bill.

The bicameral report on the 2008 annual appropriations is expected to be ratified on 28 January 2008 when Congress resumes its sessions.

The approval of the General Appropriations Act in February 2008 will not adversely affect the operations of the government because the first two months of the new fiscal year would only entail the preparation for the impending budgetary releases while the allocations for personal services are automatically disbursed.

The differences between the House and Senate versions can be resolved and only the technical aspect of printing the final version of the annual appropriations measure will take some time.