How Congress keeps the government funded

 USA Facts -   At USAFacts, we talk a lot about how the government spends its money and what that means for the American people. But planning for the financial future of the country can be rife with political tensions and potential

• The president submits a budget request every February. By April 15, the House and Senate budget committees draft a resolution setting spending levels. 
• Sometimes a proposed budget requires a law change, such as adjusting mandatory spending or increasing the debt limit. In these cases, Congress must also pass reconciliation bills, which change the laws necessary to pass a budget that meets the outline in the resolution. This must be done by June 15 of each year.
  
• Appropriations committees then write detailed spending bills, due by June 30. If these aren’t passed by the end of the fiscal year in September, Congress has two options: pass a continuing resolution to temporarily fund financial programs that keep the government running or shut the government down.