This is a silly way to run a government, but we do it every year

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In the weird and wonky world of Washington, funding deadlines written into law are mere suggestions and the threat of a partial government shutdown is always on the horizon.

The 2024 fiscal year started on October 1, but lawmakers have yet to officially pass the 12 funding bills that are supposed to form the backbone of discretionary government spending – things like defense spending, etc.

What is a CR?

Unable to finalize an agreement on those larger bills, lawmakers have passed a series of temporary bills, or “continuing resolutions” – or “CRs,” as they’re referred to in the lexicon of the federal government, which is arguably its own dialect of the English language.

Journalists frequently try to translate “continuing resolution” or “CR” into plain English by referring to it as a “stopgap” spending bill or a “short-term” spending bill.

Why did lawmakers just pass another one?

The House and Senate passed another short-term extension for part of the government this week, which President Joe Biden signed into law, giving Congress some more time to negotiate spending five months after the fact.

The latest in a series of deadlines caused by these temporary spending bills is next Friday, March 8, for part of the government and March 22 for the rest of it.

How often do they do this?

Pretty much every year. Far from a unique occurrence, continuing resolutions are an annual affair.

October 1 has been the official kickoff date for the federal fiscal year since 1977. Lawmakers have passed at least one continuing resolution in all but three of the years in the nearly half-centurysince. The