Continuing resolution
Encyclopedia
A continuing resolution is a type of appropriations
legislation
used by the United States Congress
to fund government agencies if a formal appropriations bill has not been signed into law by the end of the Congressional fiscal year. The legislation takes the form of a joint resolution
, and provides funding for existing federal programs at current or reduced levels.
of the United States
operates on a budget calendar that runs from October 1 through September 30. Each year, the Congress authorizes each department, agency, or program to spend a specific amount of money, and the President
signs the bill into law. This money may not be spent, however, until it has been appropriated for a given purpose. The Department of Justice
, for example, is authorized to spend $22.2 billion each year, but may not do so until Congress passes a law that says so.
Because of this system, Congress is required to pass separate spending bills every year to ensure the operation of government. If Congress fails to pass such a bill, or the President fails to sign it into law, non-essential functions of the government will cease, as they are no longer allowed by law to spend money. In order to prevent the interruption of government services, Congress will often pass a continuing resolution. This authorizes government agencies to fund their agencies at the current level until either the resolution expires, or an appropriations bill is passed. A continuing resolution must be passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law by the President.
, elections, and more urgent legislative matters complicate the budget process
, frequently making the continuing resolution a common occurrence in American government. They allow the government to take its time making difficult fiscal decisions.
Federal agencies, including the military, are disrupted by the periods of reduced funding. With non-essential operations suspended, many agencies are forced to interrupt research projects, training programs, or other important functions. Its impact on day-to-day management can be severe, costing some employees the equivalent of several months' time to focus on increased bureaucratic haggling and paperwork.
and Congressional Republican
s led to the shutdown of the federal government. Without enough votes to override President Clinton's veto
, Newt Gingrich
led the Republicans not to submit a revised budget, allowing the previously-approved appropriations to expire on schedule, and causing parts of the Federal government to shut down for lack of funds. Negotiations between parties deteriorated into name-calling in the Capitol, snubbing any attempts at compromise. The shutdown backfired on the Republican leadership, and is attributed with helping Clinton win re-election in 1996.
Appropriation (law)
In law and government, appropriation is the act of setting apart something for its application to a particular usage, to the exclusion of all other uses....
legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
used by the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
to fund government agencies if a formal appropriations bill has not been signed into law by the end of the Congressional fiscal year. The legislation takes the form of a joint resolution
Joint resolution
In the United States Congress, a joint resolution is a legislative measure that requires approval by the Senate and the House and is presented to the President for his/her approval or disapproval, in exactly the same case as a bill....
, and provides funding for existing federal programs at current or reduced levels.
Federal budget procedure
The federal governmentFederal government
The federal government is the common government of a federation. The structure of federal governments varies from institution to institution. Based on a broad definition of a basic federal political system, there are two or more levels of government that exist within an established territory and...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
operates on a budget calendar that runs from October 1 through September 30. Each year, the Congress authorizes each department, agency, or program to spend a specific amount of money, and the President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
signs the bill into law. This money may not be spent, however, until it has been appropriated for a given purpose. The Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
, for example, is authorized to spend $22.2 billion each year, but may not do so until Congress passes a law that says so.
Because of this system, Congress is required to pass separate spending bills every year to ensure the operation of government. If Congress fails to pass such a bill, or the President fails to sign it into law, non-essential functions of the government will cease, as they are no longer allowed by law to spend money. In order to prevent the interruption of government services, Congress will often pass a continuing resolution. This authorizes government agencies to fund their agencies at the current level until either the resolution expires, or an appropriations bill is passed. A continuing resolution must be passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law by the President.
Advantages and disadvantages
Standoffs between the President and Congress or between political partiesPolitical Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
, elections, and more urgent legislative matters complicate the budget process
United States budget process
The process of creating the budget for the United States government is known as the budget process. The framework used by Congress to formulate the budget was established by the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, and by other budget...
, frequently making the continuing resolution a common occurrence in American government. They allow the government to take its time making difficult fiscal decisions.
Federal agencies, including the military, are disrupted by the periods of reduced funding. With non-essential operations suspended, many agencies are forced to interrupt research projects, training programs, or other important functions. Its impact on day-to-day management can be severe, costing some employees the equivalent of several months' time to focus on increased bureaucratic haggling and paperwork.
Continuing resolutions in history
The most significant incident involving continuing resolutions occurred in 1995, when a standoff between then Democratic President Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and Congressional Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
s led to the shutdown of the federal government. Without enough votes to override President Clinton's veto
Veto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
, Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
led the Republicans not to submit a revised budget, allowing the previously-approved appropriations to expire on schedule, and causing parts of the Federal government to shut down for lack of funds. Negotiations between parties deteriorated into name-calling in the Capitol, snubbing any attempts at compromise. The shutdown backfired on the Republican leadership, and is attributed with helping Clinton win re-election in 1996.
List of continuing resolutions for the U.S. federal budget
2001 U.S. federal budget
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (1st):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (2nd):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (3rd):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (4th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (5th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (6th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (7th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (8th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (9th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (10th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (11th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (12th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (13th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (14th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (15th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (16th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (17th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (18th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (19th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (20th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2001 (21st):
2002 U.S. federal budget
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2002 (1st):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2002 (2nd):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2002 (3rd):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2002 (4th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2002 (5th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2002 (6th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2002 (7th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2002 (8th):
2003 U.S. federal budget
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2003 (1st):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2003 (2nd):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2003 (3rd):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2003 (4th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2003 (5th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2003 (6th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2003 (7th):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2003 (8th):
2007 U.S. federal budget
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007 (1st): Division B of
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007 (2nd):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007 (3rd):
- Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007:
2008 U.S. federal budget
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2008 (1st):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2008 (2nd): Division B of
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2008 (3rd):
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2008 (4th):
2009 U.S. federal budget
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2009 (1st): Division A of
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2009 (2nd):
2010 U.S. federal budget
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2010 (1st): Division B of
- Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2010 (2nd): Division B of
2011 U.S. federal budget
Beginning in September 2010, Congress passed a series of continuing resolutions to fund the government.- 1st Continuing Resolution, funding from October 1, 2010 through December 3, 2010, passed on September 29, 2010. (Pub.L. 111-242)
- 2nd Continuing Resolution, funding through December 18, 2010, passed on December 2, 2010.
- 3rd Continuing Resolution, funding through December 21, 2010, passed on December 17, 2010.
- 4th Continuing Resolution, funding through March 4, 2011, passed on December 21, 2010.
- 5th Continuing Resolution ("Further Continuing Appropriations Amendments, 2011"), funding through March 18, 2011, passed on March 2, 2011. (Pub.L. 112-4) This resolution cut $4 billion from 2010 spending levels.
- 6th Continuing Resolution ("Additional Continuing Appropriations Amendments, 2011"), funding through April 8, 2011, passed on March 16, 2011. (Pub.L. 112-6) This resolution cut an additional $6 billion from 2010 spending levels.
- 7th Continuing Resolution ("Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Amendments, 2011"), funding through April 15, 2011, passed on April 9, 2011. (Pub.L. 112-8) This continuing resolution followed a deal on the full annual budget which was made with just hours remaining before a government shutdown. It itself contains an additional $2 billion in cuts. Democrats had previously rejected a Republican-backed resolution passed by the House before the deal, which would have funded the government for another week and cut an additional $12 billion from 2010 levels.