US House passes stopgap funding bill to avert government shutdown, sends to President Trump

The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved legislation to keep federal agencies operating beyond Oct. 1, when existing funds are due to expire with the start of the new fiscal year.

By a vote of 370-48, the House passed the extension of current spending through Dec. 11 and sent it to President Donald Trump for signing into law. The Senate passed the measure on Aug. 8.

The temporary measure prevents the type of situation that occurred last year, when a government shutdown put paychecks for U.S. troops in doubt.

Background

The measure was needed because Congress has so far failed to finish work on any of the 12 spending bills that fund government programs for the full fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027. Those programs range from homeland security and federal law enforcement to energy, housing, and defense.

Since the beginning of Trump’s second term, Congress has been consumed by particularly contentious fights between Republicans, who control Congress, and the Democratic minority in the House and Senate. The result has been three partial government shutdowns, totaling an unprecedented 161 days, as the two parties fought over health insurance subsidies and checks on federal immigration officers’ enforcement powers.

This time, neither Republicans nor Democrats wanted a fourth shutdown hanging over them as they run for re-election, potentially enraging voters who are already angry about the high price of food and housing, the U.S. war against Iran, and tariffs on foreign goods that have hit farmers particularly hard.

Key Statements

During debate on the temporary funding bill—known as a “continuing resolution”—House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma underscored the political sensitivities.

“This will give Congress time to get past the November elections,” Cole said, referring to the effort to pass the bill.

Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the senior Democrat on the appropriations panel, argued that the bill was a move toward Congress reclaiming its constitutional power over spending. This follows the Trump administration’s series of unilateral actions since early 2025, including severe cuts to federal agencies and the elimination of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

“The power of the purse resides within the Congress. It is our exclusive responsibility,” DeLauro said, adding, “The first step in exercising that authority is passing this bill today.”

Concerns and Challenges

However, the stopgap bill fails to address any of the country’s major fiscal problems. The national debt crossed the $40 trillion threshold last month, and Washington has failed to address voters’ top concern of affordability.

Furthermore, with the legislation delaying decision-making on spending priorities for another 15 weeks, Congress faces a potentially arduous task in December of writing and passing the 12 full-year spending bills.

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