House Speaker Mike Johnson steered the chamber to pass a short-term government funding bill on Tuesday, extending federal spending through December 11 and avoiding a shutdown before the midterm elections. The continuing resolution passed 370-48, with bipartisan support despite objections from some hard-line Republicans and a minority of Democrats.
The Senate had already approved the measure by a commanding 90-6 margin on August 8, so it now moves to President Trump’s desk. Passing the funding bill nearly a month before the September 30 deadline is unusual, but both parties prioritized avoiding another shutdown ahead of the critical election.
Congress has faced two record-breaking government shutdowns in the past year alone, creating political pressure to prevent a third. The early passage signals that both Republicans and Democrats were anxious to clear the spending fight off the calendar before voters head to the polls, when the balance of power in Congress will be decided.
The bill includes several provisions that drew scrutiny from different corners of the chamber. Senate negotiators added a short-term delay of a congressionally enacted ban on intoxicating hemp products, allowing the White House and cannabis industry time to negotiate a different deal. Some Republicans opposed this delay and wanted the ban to take effect as scheduled.
The funding measure also temporarily blocks a rule that would reshape how the Trump administration distributes federal grants by giving more power to political appointees. This provision brought many Democrats on board, even as some criticized the process of funding the government on a temporary basis rather than passing full-year appropriations bills.
House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole defended the compromise on the chamber floor before the vote. “When we passed our continuing resolution over here, we knew it would change when it got to the Senate,” Cole said. “Some of those changes I actually agree with, some of them I don’t. But they don’t really change the substance of the fact we bought the time that we need to get through the election cycle.”
The continuing resolution pushes the spending battle into late 2026, after voters determine which party controls the House and Senate. Democrats, if they retake power, will likely seek to reduce defense spending and boost domestic programs for infrastructure and education. Republicans may attempt to move full-year appropriations bills, though they will need Democratic cooperation to succeed.
The early timing reflects political reality: Congress has increasingly relied on continuing resolutions to keep the government funded as partisan polarization has made bipartisan consensus on spending more difficult to achieve. Yet passing one almost a month early remains rare, underscoring how determined both parties were to avoid a shutdown during an election year.
Sources
- The Hill — House vote count (370-48), bill timeline through December 11, Senate vote (90-6), provisions on hemp and grant-making rule, committee chair comments, and context on prior shutdowns
- Spectrum News — House passage and vote count confirmation
- NPR — Bipartisan support and Senate approval
- NBC News — House return from recess and midterm election context
