A Continuing Resolution (CR) is a temporary spending bill that allows federal government operations to continue when final appropriations have not been approved by Congress and the President. Without final appropriations or a CR, there could be a lapse in funding that results in a government shutdown. The CR maintains the previously appropriated year’s level of funding for federal programs for a specified period of time, giving lawmakers more time to reach an agreement on full-year appropriations bills. Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have spent weeks crafting, putting forward, and ultimately rejecting CR proposals. The CR is voted on by members of Congress, and it needs to pass both the House and the Senate to become law. The most recent CR was passed on October 1, 2023, and it funds the government at current levels through November 17, 2023.