The legislation, which was signed into law on Nov. 2, provides the broad strokes of how to fund the government for the next two years, but Congress still has to decide exactly how it will appropriate funding by Dec. 11 or the government could still shutdown.  That said, passive of what can be deemed a spending guide of sorts has legislative watchers cautiously optimistic.

“It will provide a small amount of stability and some predictability for the government overall,” said Alan Chvotkin, executive vice president and counsel of the Professional Services Council. “There are still some hurdles to overcome between now and Dec. 11. We’ll be watching those closely, but having this agreement is far better than not having it.”