On Wednesday, congressional leaders introduced a stop-gap measure to prevent the U.S. government shutdown that would have begun after April 28, when the previous Continuing Resolution was set to expire. Congress and the president will still need to reach an agreement about a budget plan, but for the time being, federal services (and spending) will move forward without interruption. The chorus in Washington will shout “Crisis averted!” and many people across the nation will breathe a sigh of relief.
