US Senate passes stopgap funding bill 90-6 to avert shutdown, blocking Trump's grant and border priorities

Senate passes stopgap funding bill 90-6

The US Senate voted 90-6 on Saturday to pass a short-term spending bill funding federal agencies through December 11, averting a government shutdown before the September 30 fiscal year deadline and the November 3 midterm elections. One senator voted present. The six opponents were Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts). The Republican-controlled House passed its own version last month, funding the government through December 4, and the two chambers must reconcile their differences before President Donald Trump can sign a final measure into law.

The passage, more than a month before the September 30 deadline, was a departure from last-minute funding votes that have become the norm. Both the political pressure of the midterm elections and the experience of three government funding lapses during the fiscal year 2026 cycle pushed senators to move quickly. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, said:

After three unnecessary lapses in funding during the fiscal year 2026 cycle, putting the possibility of yet another harmful shutdown off the table should be a priority for each and every one of us.

The Senate worked through the night, also confirming Todd Blanche as Attorney General and holding a failed procedural vote on a voter identification bill. The chamber adjourned at 4:36 a.m. on Saturday for a five-week August recess.

Provisions and checks on the White House

The bill maintains current funding levels with several negotiated exceptions. It blocks the Trump administration from transferring money from other programs to the Border Patrol, a provision Democrats insisted on. It rejects a White House request for $1 billion to begin work on a proposed new class of battleships, and includes funds for housing and nutrition programs while extending expiring authorization for veterans' health care programs. The bill also sidesteps Trump's calls for emergency funds related to the Iran war.

The bill temporarily blocks the Office of Management and Budget from implementing a rule proposed in May that would give political appointees more control over discretionary federal grants, requiring them to review grants before award to ensure they advance the president's priorities. Collins said the rule has the "potential to politicize grants and harm small, rural communities, families, and biomedical research."

Hemp ban delay and voter ID failure

At President Trump's request, the bill delays for one month a ban on intoxicating hemp products scheduled to take effect in November. The provision, which Congress approved and Trump signed into law last year, briefly threatened to derail the entire bill and generated a revolt among Senate Republicans. The Senate defeated an amendment from Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina) that would have stripped the delay. The delay would benefit the son-in-law of Susie Wiles, Trump's chief of staff.

The Senate also failed to advance a voter identification bill that Trump had demanded for months. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), one of the most forceful proponents, conceded on Friday night:

We are not in a position right now where we have the wherewithal to pass it right now.

Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) had been making the case for months that the votes were not there, alluding to "math" and "reality" that he suggested the president did not appreciate.

House differences and December standoff

The House bill differs from the Senate version most notably in the grants provision. The Senate bill also includes language sought by Democrats to ensure Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol do not receive new funding under the patch, following $70 billion Republicans enacted for those agencies earlier this year on a party-line vote. Representative John Rutherford (R-Florida) called the provision "could be a dealbreaker" and said he is "not a fan" of the Senate version. Representative Jeff Van Drew (R-New Jersey) said he would be undecided if GOP leadership whipped his vote.

Lawmakers on both sides expect a December fight over the grants issue. Senator John Kennedy (R-Louisiana) said he will "fight like hell" in December to ensure Congress does not further obstruct the grant overhaul. Senator Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on Senate Appropriations, said she would "welcome the fight."