Continuing resolution

Nobody wants to take the blame in an election year.

Federal workers still have to prepare for a potential shutdown weeks in advance in addition to (or instead of) their regular duties. Waiting for a budget also has another price: the erosion of the public's trust in government.

House Republicans are considering different funding expiration dates for different parts of government, instead of one deadline for all.

The GOP wanted increased funds for aid programs to farmers, but opponents said similar aid has gone to big corporations at the expense of smaller farms in the past.

This economy has been reduced to getting by on a never-ending series of four week budget stopgaps.