Government Glossary

Continuing Resolution

Short Definition

A continuing resolution is a temporary funding law that lets government operations continue when regular appropriation bills have not been enacted.

Long Explanation

Continuing resolutions matter because they are often used to avoid or end government shutdowns. They usually fund programs for a limited time and may continue prior funding levels rather than making full-year budget decisions.

When you see this term, ask which public body is acting, what legal authority it is using, and where the official record can be verified.

In practice, Continuing Resolution is useful because it helps a visitor connect a word or phrase to law making, committee work, oversight, votes, or congressional records. When you see the term in an official source, ask which office has authority, what decision is being made, which deadline or rule matters, and where the public record can be checked.

Examples

Simple exampleA visitor sees “Continuing Resolution” while reading about a bill and uses Congress.gov or a committee page to find the official record.
Civic exampleA citizen trying to follow lawmaking checks the bill text, committee action, vote record, and chamber rules before relying on a summary.

Common Misconception

A common mistake is treating Continuing Resolution as a complete explanation of what Congress did. The term is usually a starting point. To know what happened, check the bill text, committee action, chamber record, and vote information where available.

Related Terms

Budget And LawmakingCongressLegislative Process

Related Guide Pages

CongressThe Branch That Writes: a clear home base for House and Senate representation, lawmaking, committees, oversight, federal powers, member work, and official records.How a Bill Becomes a LawA complete plain-English guide to how an idea becomes a federal bill, moves through committees and floor votes, reaches the President, and becomes public law.Congressional CommitteesA practical guide to House, Senate, select, special, and joint committees: what they do, how hearings and markup work, and where to find official committee pages.

Quick Link Guide

One-click access to other sections of the government education guide.

Guide To GovernmentStart with branches, powers, checks, records, and practical resources.CongressLawmaking, representation, committees, and oversight.Executive BranchPresidency, agencies, and presidential actions.Judicial BranchCourts, cases, and court resources.Federal BudgetRevenue, spending, deficits, debt, and shutdowns.ElectionsVoting, participation, and official election resources.Government ResourcesOfficial public service and self-help resources.GlossaryDefinitions, tooltips, and related pages.