Stopgap funding is a temporary measure that allows the government to continue operating while Congress negotiates a detailed legislation that sets funding for federal programs. It is typically used when the House and Senate are unable to agree on spending levels to keep federal operations running. Stopgap funding bills are passed to buy more time to negotiate the detailed legislation that sets funding for federal programs. These bills extend existing spending levels for a specific period, allowing the government to continue operating. The purpose of stopgap funding is to prevent a government shutdown, which would furlough hundreds of thousands of federal employees and cause disruptions to federal services.