The statement that a 2-month continuing resolution (CR) for October to November 2025 will cost $1.37 trillion is inaccurate. The $1.37 trillion figure is the annual discretionary spending level for the entire fiscal year 2024, which Congress recently extended for fiscal year 2025. A 2-month CR would authorize spending based on a fraction of that annual level.
Key facts
about the current budget situation:
· A "clean" CR has been passed
by the House: On September 19, 2025, the House passed a "clean" CR to
fund the government through November 21, 2025, largely maintaining spending at
fiscal year (FY) 2025 levels.
· The annual discretionary budget is
higher: The overall discretionary spending for FY 2025 is $1.6 trillion. The
$1.37 trillion figure refers only to the discretionary spending for FY 2024.
· The CR does not include all spending:
The resolution only covers discretionary spending, not mandatory spending on
programs like Social Security and Medicare.
· The total cost of a CR is a projection:
The cost of a CR is based on the annual discretionary spending level, but the
actual cost is an estimate for the limited period it covers.
· Senate opposition threatens a shutdown: Despite House approval, the GOP-drafted CR faces opposition from Senate Democrats. The Senate is also considering its own proposal to extend funding, but the ultimate outcome is still uncertain.
No, the $1.37 trillion figure associated with the continuing resolution (CR) is misleading and potentially inaccurate. The number likely refers to a policy provision added to a proposed, but rejected, Democratic version of the CR and represents a potential 10-year deficit increase, not the total cost of the two-month funding bill.
Here are the
key points regarding the cost of the proposed CRs for fiscal year (FY) 2026:
· Competing CR proposals: In mid-September
2025, ahead of the September 30 deadline, Congress considered different
short-term CRs to fund the government. A two-month CR was not agreed upon, and
two versions were proposed.
· The $1.37 trillion figure: This amount
was cited by a conservative think tank regarding a Democratic CR proposal. The
figure is an estimate of the 10-year net cost of specific policy provisions
included in that draft bill, particularly those related to healthcare. It was
not the cost of the two-month period itself.
· True cost of a CR: A continuing
resolution is a temporary measure that extends government funding at current
levels. For FY 2026, the CR would generally be based on the FY 2025
discretionary spending level, which was set at approximately $1.6 trillion by
the full-year CR passed in March 2025.
· Recent CR details: A bipartisan deal for a short-term CR was announced on September 18, 2025, that would extend FY 2025 funding levels and include additional security funding. It is a relatively "clean" CR, meaning it does not contain the extensive policy riders that inflated the cost estimates of the competing draft bills.
Comments
If we are continuing the high $7 trillion FY spending, 2 months would be 1.167 trillion. ($7 trillion divided by 6).
Norb Leahy,
Dunwoody Ga Tea Party Leader
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