House defers potential shutdown with a stopgap spending bill

The House approved a stopgap spending bill on Tuesday that will keep the federal government funded through early December, taking a government shutdown off the table until after midterm elections this fall. 

The House voted 370-48 to pass a continuing resolution that will keep the federal government funded through Dec. 11. 

The continuing resolution includes a provision that temporarily blocks the Office of Management and Budget’s proposed rule that would put federal grant funding under review by political appointees. It also includes language that would prevent the Trump administration from transferring funds from other programs to Border Patrol. 

The Senate passed the stopgap spending bill in a 90-6 vote in July before leaving for its summer recess.

Federal employees dealt with the longest government shutdown in history last year, followed by the longest partial shutdown, which affected the Homeland Security Department. Both shutdowns led to federal workers missing paychecks. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters Tuesday morning ahead of votes that Congress is “going to avoid the threat” of another government shutdown.  

“On this CR we’ll take up, it simply holds funding steady at current levels through Dec. 11, as Republicans work to complete the full-year appropriations process,” Johnson said. 

The stopgap spending bill gives Congress more time to reach a deal on a comprehensive spending package for fiscal 2027. So far, the House has passed three of 12 spending bills that make up a comprehensive spending plan. The Senate has passed none. 

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., said, “The fiscal-year deadline is outpacing the work that remains” but that the continuing resolution will ensure constituents “will continue to get the services they need.” 

“This will allow Congress time to get past the November elections, and allow us time to assess and move forward with further appropriations measures in November and December,” Cole said. 

House Appropriations Committee Ranking Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. said the CR is a “marked improvement” from an earlier version that would have kept the government funded through Dec. 4 but would not have blocked OMB’s proposed rule. 

“The continuing resolution we are considering today is in no way a substitute for the full-year funding process. It is merely a means to complete this important work while averting a lapse in government funding,” DeLauro said. 

The House passed the previous Dec. 4 CR largely along party lines, with Republicans overwhelmingly voting in favor. House Democratic leaders rejected the earlier stopgap spending bill, but House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., said this latest version would receive “broad bipartisan support.”

Vice Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus Ted Liu, D-Calif., said he would vote for the CR, “even though doing CRs is a stupid way to run government.” 

“It is not a good way to run our federal government. But it’s the only alternative that’s gonna be put before us,” Lieu said.