What is a CR?
CR stands for continuing resolution. This can be confusing since a CR is actually a bill that must be passed by both chambers of Congress and signed into law by the President.
A CR is an appropriations bill that continues the previous fiscal year’s funding levels to a date certain, typically to prevent a government shutdown at midnight on September 30th (which is the end of the federal fiscal year).
CRs are generally intended to be temporary in nature, but Congress can keep offering subsequent CRs during a funding fight, extending them in perpetuity if necessary.
What does a CR cover?
- Only covers discretionary funding programs and operations.
- Can cover, effectively extending, any number from 1-12 unenacted appropriations bills.
- Can be combined with separate bills to cover the other appropriations (“CRomnibus”).
If some bills are covered in a CR but others are not, the government could continue operations for those departments and programs covered under the CR but shut down for departments and programs not covered under the CR.
How long does a CR last?
- Can be written to allow funding until a “date certain,” meaning funding is provided to specific calendar date written into the bill.
- Used as a stop-gap measure to prevent a government shutdown. This means they tend to be short-term spending bills.
“Short-term” has multiple meanings: (1) can be a few hours to a few days (usually happens when there is a deal, but staff needs more time to draft it); (2) can also be weeks to a few months.
If all else fails, a CR can even last a full federal fiscal year as a “full year CR” if no deal is reached and Congress wants to continue existing funding.
What is a “clean” CR?
A “clean” CR is a straight extension of existing appropriations from the previously enacted fiscal year at the same levels.
Alternatively, a CR can include additional provisions, changes, or “anomalies” that are added by Congress, differentiating it from the previous year’s bills. Sometimes these are simple updates, additional extensions of authorizing bills that were due to expire, or similar provisions. Other times, the changes are significant policy riders.
A CR can also stop being “clean” if Congress writes it in such a way that the programs carry forward, but the level of funding is adjusted for those programs.
