With the government fiscal year ending on 30 September, the timing is clear as to when a CR must be passed, although the length of its duration is not. The initial effort to craft one will target a period of coverage, and that will be determined by one particular factor.

The government fiscal year ends on 30 September, and no appropriations bills have been passed to date. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees did pass their versions of those for agriculture in April and May, respectively, but there has been no action on a conference committee compromise version. The only appropriations bill to move forward was one for the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development combined with appropriations for Military Co...