Reliance on Continuing Resolutions Threatens America’s Fiscal Future

On October 1, 2025, the U.S. federal government shut down after the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) to extend current spending levels for seven weeks failed to pass in the Senate. A CR is not a suitable long-term funding mechanism for the federal government. Instead, it is a temporary spending bill used in place of the regular annual appropriations process.

The reality is simple: if no appropriation bills are enacted and a CR is not passed, the government must shut down. The Appropriations Clause in Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 of the U.S. Constitution states, “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.” Only Congress has the authority to fund federal agencies; no agency can do so independently. It’s therefore critical that lawmakers work together to pass appropriations bills that reflect sustainable spending levels.

For good reason, CRs are highly criticized as a temporary and very imperfect stopgap measure. Individual appropriations provide more transparency and require votes on specific spending bills, enabling Congress to cut wasteful government programs. Additionally, CRs lock in the previous year’s spending, ensuring the government is on autopilot. That’s a problem when the national debt exceeds $37 trillion. They also raise costs for taxpayers. For example, in the defense sector, contractors factor the uncertainty of a CR into their quoted operating costs, which can lead to higher prices (billed to taxpayers) to offset funding inconsistencies. 

Congress must restore regular order in the appropriations process to ensure that there are no further shutdowns in the future and utilize the appropriations process to evaluate programs and make necessary cuts. Unfortunately, only a few members of Congress are speaking out against the wasteful spending gripping Washington, D.C.

When asked about the (then) looming shutdown on MSNBC, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), the only Republican in the Senate to vote against the CR,  stated, “We have to make a decision on spending levels we need to look at them in context of what kind of deficit they will create. The Republican plan will create about $2 trillion in deficit spending, the Democrat plan will create about $3 trillion in deficit spending. I want less deficit. I am kind of looking for a plan that would offer less spending and less deficit. So, I introduced a budget last week called the Penny Plan Budget, and it would gradually balance the budget over a bout 5 years.”

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) posted on Twitter, “Both parties are ridiculous! Republicans passed a line-by-line continuation of Biden’s last budget, including Doge-identified waste. BUT Democrats refused to vote for Biden’s last budget, thereby shutting down the government. I voted Nay when it was for Biden and I’m Nay now.”

The federal government is falling deeper into a financial hole. Reversing spending cuts and extending bloated COVID-era spending (as Democrats and Republicans are proposing) will only increase the debt and expand the deficit. Rep. Massie and Sen. Paul are right to warn that the U.S. Congress should do its job and usher in a new era of fiscal responsibility.