Republican leaders are making plans for a new, longer continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government at current levels as the government shutdown drags into its fourth week.

Consensus is growing that the GOP-crafted “clean” CR to fund the government through Nov. 21 — which passed the House in September but has been voted down 11 times in the Senate as Democrats make demands on health care — will no longer allow enough time to work out regular full-year appropriations.

But the timeline of the new measure is the subject of debate.

Several options are under consideration, multiple GOP leadership sources tell The Hill, including one lasting until late January. One of those sources said that date seems to have the most support right now, while stressing the plans are in flux.

A full-year CR through at least Sept. 30 — the end of the fiscal year — has also been discussed.

That kind of long-term option is preferred by some hard-line Republicans who would prefer to avoid any spending increases or new leverage points for Democrats. Members of the House Freedom Caucus have previously argued for a yearlong CR.

But such a measure would be abhorred by members of the Appropriations committees who have been working to set new spending levels, something Congress hasn’t done since March 2024.

Some Republicans have floated a mid-December CR to finish regular appropriations sooner, but that would outrage hard-liners who want to avoid a holiday deadline that might put pressure on members to support a massive omnibus spending bill — perhaps with health........

© The Hill