House approves stopgap funding bill

The House passed a short-term measure Tuesday to fund the federal government into early December, a move designed to avoid a chaotic shutdown as lawmakers campaign for reelection. The bill passed by a vote of 370-48, with the Senate having already overwhelmingly approved the measure. It now moves to President Donald Trump's desk for his signature.

The short-term measure funds federal agencies generally at current levels through Dec. 11, keeping the government open past the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year. Lawmakers needed to act before that deadline to avoid a funding lapse, and they were determined not to bump up against it during the campaign season following the past year's historic shutdowns.

"It gives the nation and our constituents certainty, certainty that the government will remain open, certainty that our service members will be paid," said Rep. Tom Cole, the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Speaking on the House floor, Cole called the measure "a clean, short-term continuing resolution" that keeps the government open and protects national security.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters in advance of the vote, "We're going to avoid the threat of another Democratic shutdown." After the vote, Johnson said, "We are not going to have our troops in harm's way without getting paychecks," and added that House Republicans were "continuing to do the grown-up thing."

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said, "We want to get a longer-term deal, but at a minimum, let's ensure that we can continue to see government properly funded and functioning."

Key provisions and bipartisan support

The bill originated in the Senate through a bipartisan deal, passing in August. The House voted on the Senate's version, which differed from an initial House-passed extension. The Senate measure lacked new funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, and included a temporary block on a proposed administration rule that critics warn would further politicize federal grants.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the lead Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, encouraged her Democratic colleagues to vote for the measure during a closed-door meeting Tuesday morning. She said the bill was much improved from the product that passed the House earlier this summer on a mostly party-line basis. DeLauro highlighted that the bill prevents the Department of Homeland Security from transferring funds to the Border Patrol and delays a proposed rule that would give political appointees in the Trump administration more authority to stop federal grants.

"Whether a community receives disaster relief should not depend on who they voted for in the last election," DeLauro said.

Rep. Pete Aguilar, the House Democratic Caucus chair, said he projected "broad bipartisan support" for the bill during a morning press conference. He also noted DeLauro's encouragement to Democrats in the caucus meeting.

The bill's provisions also delayed a ban on intoxicating hemp products set to kick in next month, a move that drew opposition from some House Republicans. Maryland Rep. Andy Harris, chair of the Freedom Caucus, voted no on the funding patch and said, "There are profiteers who are making money on basically the health of our children, and I object to that."

For the Defense Department, the continuing resolution funds weapons programs at fiscal 2026 levels and prevents furloughs and unpaid troop work. Rep. Betty McCollum, ranking member of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, praised the bill for excluding Iran war funding, calling it "his war of choice."

Context: recent shutdowns and divisions

A record 43-day shutdown occurred last fall when the two parties disagreed on renewing an expiring tax credit that lowers the cost of health coverage obtained through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Then came the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, which lasted 76 days before lawmakers agreed to fund much of the department but not its immigration enforcement operations.

Lawmakers were wary of a repeat before voters go to the polls. They also blamed the other party for the recent impasses. Government funding has frequently been a divisive issue this Congress, which holds the record for the longest shutdown in US history.

The House initially passed a GOP-led bill in July to extend funding until Dec. 4, with little support from House Democrats who wanted restrictions on Border Patrol funding. The Senate then passed a bipartisan measure to move the deadline to Dec. 11, including a provision to close a loophole Democrats said allowed the Trump administration to transfer funds to Border Patrol.

Republicans are seeking hundreds of billions of dollars in additional spending for the military while cutting most non-defense programs, while Democrats insist on a bipartisan approach that treats domestic programs with parity.

Outlook

Cole expressed doubt that the extension would provide enough cushion for Congress to pass full-year legislation. "The Senate has wasted the entire year and a half. They have not passed a single bill," he said Tuesday, blaming Senate Democrats. "There's no excuse for not having a single one done." He suggested that there will either be a yearlong stopgap measure to break the impasse in December, or a shutdown. "We're going to be in a crunch time," he said.

Cole also noted the election as a pivotal factor: "That's the huge intervening event." He and DeLauro traveled to Ukraine and other European countries last month, and Cole said, "We both are pretty adamant that we need to get these bills done before the end of the calendar year."

Trump is expected to sign the funding patch, which the White House endorsed last month ahead of Senate passage.