What Does A Shutdown Have To Do With The Budget Or Elon Musk? Here's A Guide.

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Potential changes: The bill would fund a portion of the budget — hundreds of billions of dollars — for the rest of the fiscal year.

If Congress doesn't pass a bill to fund ongoing government programs by the end of Friday, there could be a shutdown.

Congress is supposed to pass yearlong spending bills before a fiscal year begins, through a process known as regular appropriations. That process often breaks down, so Congress frequently passes shorter-term spending bills every few months instead to keep the government funded. The latest such "continuing resolution" expires this week, and a new one, which would fund the government through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, is on the table.

The current bill mostly allows the government to spend the same amount on most government agencies it has been spending all year, with a few key exceptions, including cuts to programs earmarked by lawmakers for their home districts, and an increase in military spending. Compared with last year's funding, it reduces the amount allowed by around $7 billion — roughly 0.1 percent of the estimated $7 trillion in annual government spending.