RismadarVoice Reporters
September 1, 2026
The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a temporary government funding measure designed to prevent a federal shutdown when the current funding expires later this month.
The bill, which would keep federal agencies operating at existing funding levels through December 11, passed the House by 370 votes to 48. It had already cleared the Senate and is now headed to President Donald Trump for his expected signature.
Passage of the measure removes an immediate funding crisis from Congress’ agenda ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, while negotiations over legislation to finance the government for the remainder of the fiscal year are expected to continue after the elections.
The dispute has highlighted broader disagreements between Republicans and Democrats over federal spending. Democrats have opposed President Trump’s proposal for a roughly $1.5 trillion defence budget, which would represent a substantial increase over the approximately $1 trillion approved for the military this year.
Although Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress, funding legislation generally requires bipartisan cooperation in the Senate because 60 votes are needed to overcome a filibuster.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, Republican of Oklahoma, said lawmakers still hope to complete the 12 annual spending bills that finance the federal government, although he acknowledged that the outcome could depend heavily on the midterm elections.
“I do want to finish all the bills before the end of the year,” Cole said, adding that lawmakers would have a clearer picture of their prospects after the election.
The election results could also strengthen the negotiating position of lawmakers who win or lose seats, particularly during the period between the election and the start of the new Congress.
Cole said the midterms would significantly influence the remaining budget negotiations, noting that lawmakers would return to Washington with different political calculations depending on the results.
Democrats are also preparing for the possibility of regaining control of the House. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Democrat of Connecticut, said she would like to chair the Appropriations Committee again if her party wins the chamber.
For now, however, DeLauro said her priority is reaching a bipartisan agreement on government spending before the next fiscal year begins in 2027.
“The goal is that we need to pass appropriations bills before the end of the year,” DeLauro said, stressing the need to complete the process regardless of the election outcome.
With the stopgap measure now moving to the White House, Congress has temporarily avoided a shutdown while leaving the larger fight over federal spending unresolved.
