CRs typically require funds to be obligated at the current rate of operations. The current rate refers to which?

• A. Program level
• B. Both program level and sum of money
• C. Sum of money
• D. Neither

Answer: (C)

Current rate of operations is the annualized level of funding needed to sustain ongoing activities at the current tempo. When a continuing resolution funds at the current rate, the agency is authorized to obligate up to that annualized operating level for the duration of the CR. The result is a sum of money—the total amount available for obligations during the CR period—rather than funding allocated to individual programs or line items. In practice, you multiply the current rate by the CR duration to get the total sum of money available. For example, if the current rate is the equivalent of $100 million per year and the CR lasts six months, the available sum of money would be about $50 million. This focuses on the overall funding needed to keep operations running, not on a single program’s budget.