President Biden signed H.R. 5371, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026, into law on Wednesday, marking the latest chapter in Washington’s ongoing budget saga. The legislation ensures government operations continue at current funding levels for the coming fiscal year.
The bill, which the President approved on November 12, 2025, primarily maintains federal spending at rates established in fiscal year 2025, avoiding the specter of a government shutdown that has loomed over previous budget cycles.
Partial Funding Solution
Unlike comprehensive budget legislation, H.R. 5371 doesn’t cover the entire federal government. The measure extends appropriations for agencies covered by just three of the twelve annual appropriation acts, highlighting Congress’s continued reliance on piecemeal funding approaches rather than passing comprehensive budget packages.
“Such amounts as may be necessary, at a rate for operations as provided in the applicable appropriations Acts for fiscal year 2025 and under the authority and conditions provided in such Acts, for continuing projects or activities,” reads the legislation, which maintains funding for direct loans and other financial obligations.
What’s actually in this continuing resolution? The formal title — “Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026” — offers clues to its priorities, focusing on agricultural programs, Congress’s own operations, and veterans’ services.
Budget Challenges Persist
The reliance on continuing resolutions has become something of a Washington tradition, with lawmakers regularly failing to pass comprehensive appropriations bills by established deadlines. Critics argue this approach creates uncertainty for federal agencies and contractors who struggle to plan beyond short-term funding horizons.
The bill’s official summary describes it as “Making continuing appropriations and extensions for fiscal year 2026, and for other purposes” — the kind of bureaucratic language that masks the real-world implications for government operations and services.
Budget experts note that while continuing resolutions prevent immediate shutdowns, they often create inefficiencies by preventing agencies from starting new initiatives or adjusting priorities based on current needs.
Still, for federal workers and the millions of Americans who depend on government services, the signing represents a moment of stability in an otherwise unpredictable fiscal environment.
As Washington moves forward under this latest funding measure, the question remains whether Congress can break its cycle of stopgap solutions and return to regular budget order — or if continuing resolutions have become the new normal in American governance.
