In the event that Congress fails to pass all 12 appropriations bills by September 30, the end of the fiscal year, a continuing resolution must be passed to prevent a government shutdown.  In many cases, continuing resolutions are short-term measures that simply continue current funding levels (sometimes choosing the lower level between the previous fiscal year and either the President’s budget request or the House-passed bill) for a few weeks to give Congress the opportunity to finish its work.  Less often continuing resolutions fund the government for months or even the remainder of the current year.