Glossary

Continuing resolution

A temporary law that keeps federal agencies funded at existing levels when regular appropriations have not been enacted.

Also called: CR, stopgap funding bill

A continuing resolution, usually abbreviated CR, is a temporary spending measure passed when Congress has not finished its regular appropriations bills by the start of the fiscal year on October 1. It generally funds agencies at the previous year's rates until a set date or until full-year bills are enacted.

CRs may include anomalies adjusting funding for specific programs, extend expiring authorities or add emergency money, and they are often bundled with unrelated items. They require passage by both chambers and the president's signature, which in the Senate usually means 60 votes to pass cloture. A CR that runs short of its deadline creates a cliff at which a government shutdown could begin.

Congress has relied on CRs in almost every year in recent decades. Fiscal conservatives criticize them as a way to avoid hard choices and to preserve existing spending levels without scrutiny, while defense hawks complain that they block new initiatives. Many members, from both parties, say they want a return to regular order with individual spending bills, though end-of-year omnibus packages often replace that goal. A longer CR can fund the government for a full year.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

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Related terms

Appropriations The laws through which Congress grants federal agencies authority to spend money each year on discretionary programs. Government shutdown A lapse in federal appropriations that forces agencies to suspend non-essential operations until funding is restored. Omnibus bill A single large bill that combines many separate measures, most often a full set of annual spending bills. Discretionary spending Federal spending that Congress sets each year through appropriations bills, including defense, transportation and many domestic agencies. Regular order The traditional process of developing and debating legislation through committees, open amendment and separate votes rather than leadership-written packages.