A bill to revive the FHA’s operations was delayed.

Arcane budgetary and parliamentary rules delayed action on the bill by the Senate until next week. The Federal Housing Administration was forced to stop taking new applications for government-insured home mortgages after hitting its $74.4-billion credit ceiling. The agency, which provides insurance for low-down-payment mortgages at a current interest rate of 9.5%, has been shut down since June 5, when its statutory authority to operate expired for the sixth time in nine months.