Congress is supposed to fund the U.S. government through 12 appropriations bills, but it rarely does so on time. In recent years, lawmakers have failed to pass these bills by the start of the fiscal year, leading to temporary funding measures called continuing resolutions (CRs), which extend the previous year's budget. These CRs are often passed last-minute, leading to inefficiencies and government shutdown fears. The process has been plagued by politicking, with frequent delays, and the failure to pass funding bills on time has become a yearly norm. Most years, Congress relies on CRs to keep the government running, sometimes into the next fiscal year.