COUNTDOWN TO CR: This is the time of year when the Pentagon typically begins sounding the alarm about the devastating impact of Congress’s failure to pass the defense budget on time, but despite the fact that none of 12 funding bills has made it out of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Pentagon and congressional leaders seem resigned to the likely prospect of another continuing resolution to keep the government open past the election.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said last week that Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had agreed to support a “clean CR” hopefully through the beginning of December, which would freeze government spending at this year’s level when the 2021 fiscal year begins Oct. 1. Depending on the results of the election, another CR might be needed to extend funding until January.