what is a cr in congress

A Continuing Resolution (CR) is a temporary funding measure that Congress can use to fund the federal government for a limited amount of time. It is a type of appropriations legislation that allows federal government operations to continue when final appropriations have not been approved by Congress and the President. CRs are temporary spending bills that continue the level of funding from the prior years appropriations or the previously approved CR from the current year. They are often employed to avoid a partial government shutdown and to give lawmakers more time to enact appropriations for the full year. Programs deemed as essential services, such as those related to public safety, often continue to operate even in the absence of a CR. Lawmakers often enact multiple CRs in a single fiscal year before deciding on full-year funding levels.