House passes stopgap funding bill to avert shutdown before midterms, but Senate path uncertain

The House vote

The Republican-controlled House passed a continuing resolution on Tuesday by a vote of 220 to 205, mostly along party lines. Six Democrats joined Republicans in support, while one Republican voted against the measure. The bill would extend government funding through December 4, well past the September 30 deadline when current spending authority expires. Unlike typical last-minute stopgaps, House Republicans advanced the measure months ahead of the deadline, effectively daring Democrats to oppose it. Speaker Mike Johnson framed the early action as a preemptive move to avoid a shutdown crisis during the November midterm elections.

They've shown there's nothing they love more than a government shutdown, as tens of millions of Americans head to the polls in November. But this clean C.R. is an opportunity for both sides.

House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole said the resolution was designed to prevent Senate Democrats from triggering another manufactured shutdown. The House also advanced a budget framework for a $95 billion party-line package in a separate 214-211 vote. The chamber has passed three of the 12 annual appropriations bills for the 2027 fiscal year, which begins October 1.

Senate uncertainty

The bill now moves to the Senate, where its path is unclear. Majority Leader John Thune told reporters he would try to bring a stopgap to a vote before senators leave for a five-week break in August, but acknowledged it could be delayed until later in September.

I'll try to put it to a vote before we leave. It's possible it could get punted.

Senate Republicans are negotiating with Democrats on their own short-term funding bill. The chamber has not passed any of the 12 appropriations bills, and none have advanced through committees. Top Democrat and Republican leaders say they remain far apart in government spending talks.

Democratic opposition

Democrats largely opposed the House measure, arguing it lacks restrictions on President Trump's immigration enforcement operations. Representative Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said she would not support a continuing resolution that fails to maintain Congress's constitutional authority over spending.

If I am going to support a continuing resolution, it needs to continue government operations, exclude any poison pills, and it must maintain Congress's constitutional authority over spending decisions. At this time, the continuing resolution does not meet that standard.

DeLauro denied that Democrats were seeking a shutdown, pointing to ongoing bipartisan negotiations over the 12 spending bills. She noted that Democrats had blocked funding measures in the past, including a record 43-day shutdown in 2025 over healthcare tax credits, and twice this year to push for immigration reforms after the killings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.

What's next

With the Senate scheduled to leave for a five-week break in August, the stopgap's fate may not be decided until September, just days before the funding lapse. The last government shutdown, in 2025, lasted a record 43 days amid disputes over healthcare tax credits and immigration reforms. Lawmakers in both chambers continue to negotiate spending levels, but few expect all appropriations bills to pass by the September 30 deadline. The continuing resolution, if passed by the Senate, would keep the government open through December 4, pushing any shutdown fight past the November elections.