With a new fiscal year beginning October 1, Congress has yet to reach an agreement on a FY2014 budget and is considering another stop-gap, short-term funding measure, known as a continuing resolution (CR). On Tuesday September 10, House Republican leadership proposed a $986.3 billion CR (H J Res 59) that would fund the federal government for part of FY14 at current post-sequester funding levels.

Some House Republicans seek to pair the CR with a separate resolution withdrawing funding for implementation of the Affordable Care Act in FY 2014 while other members of Congress seek to tie it to a broader fiscal package that would  address the debt ceiling. Caucus disagreements led the House Republicans to delay the vote on the CR until this week and to warn members that the chamber was likely to be in session the week of September 23, rather than in recess as previously scheduled.

Senate Democrats say they are ready to move forward with a plan that runs into December, even if it is based on a simple extension of spending at the post-sequester level used for FY13.