Congress Passes Stopgap Funding Bill to Avert Shutdown, Protecting Public Services Before Midterms
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The House approved a continuing resolution to extend federal spending through Dec. 11, averting a shutdown that would have hurt working families as the midterm elections approach.
On Tuesday, the House approved a short-term funding measure, extending federal spending at current levels—with only limited exceptions—until Dec. 11. The vote, 370-48, reflected rare bipartisan agreement as lawmakers faced mounting pressure from communities and workers who would have suffered most from a government shutdown. The Senate had already approved the same continuing resolution in August, and the White House, recognizing the urgent need to protect public services, urged lawmakers to support the stopgap. President Trump is expected to sign it, though his administration’s record on social safety nets remains troubling.
This legislation comes after federal funding was set to expire on Sept. 30, threatening vital programs that millions rely on. Both parties, wary of voter backlash ahead of the midterm elections, scrambled to avoid a shutdown that would disproportionately impact the most vulnerable. Congressional leaders resorted to this short-term patch after meaningful negotiations on a full-year appropriations package stalled in the Senate, largely due to obstructionist tactics and a refusal to prioritize the needs of ordinary Americans.
The current Congress has a shameful history of extended shutdowns, with two major incidents in recent years. Last year, Democrats withheld votes to pressure Republicans into extending health-insurance subsidies for those in need, resulting in a 43-day shutdown that ended in November. Another 76-day shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security, caused by hardline immigration policies, ended in April. Although subsequent bipartisan appropriations bills reopened the government, the earlier standoffs failed to deliver the progressive policy changes desperately needed by working people.