President Obama signed this short-term funding bill into law on October 5, 2011.

"There is no plan ready to be put into place if and when a funding bill is passed," she added.

He then requested the funding bill explicitly exclude "beeves and white people."

For one, Congress is distracted by other issues, which might allow a minor amendment to a funding bill to slip through unnoticed.

Debate over the funding bill was long and intense.

But previous legislation keeps Constellation contracts in force until a new funding bill is passed for 2011.

The larger funding bill passed by a vote of 91-5 in the Senate.

According to reports, the final version of the funding bill Congress will send won't even set a hard deadline for withdrawal.

It s gearing up to debate a major funding bill for roads and transit.

But previous legislation kept Constellation contracts in force until passage of a new funding bill for 2011.