Congress today approved a one-week spending measure, called a continuing resolution (CR), that keeps the federal government open, providing Members of Congress extra time to complete negotiations on a long-term spending package. The CR sustains government operations at current funding levels through May 5.
By May 5, congressional leaders hope to have passed a spending bill that will cover the rest of the fiscal year, which ends September 30. With the Republicans in control of both the House and the Senate as well as the White House, the party could not afford to fail at the basic task of keeping the government funded. The vote also avoided the potential embarrassment of shutting down the government tomorrow, which is President Trump’s 100th day in office.
