House Passes Stopgap Funding Bill 370-48 to Avert Shutdown

The House passed a continuing resolution funding the government through December 11 by 370-48, defusing shutdown risk ahead of the November midterms.

The House passed the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 on Tuesday by a vote of 370-48, with only 19 Republicans and 29 Democrats in opposition, according to The Guardian. The continuing resolution extends government funding at Fiscal Year 2026 levels through December 11, 2026, clearing the September 30 deadline and preventing a lapse in funding while Congress works through the remaining FY27 appropriations bills. Rep. Jen Kiggans (VA-02), who voted yes, said in her statement that Congress has a responsibility to keep the government open and ensure servicemembers, federal employees, and families who rely on critical federal services are not caught in the middle of funding negotiations.

The uneventful passage stands in sharp contrast to a chaotic funding year. This Congress has already produced two record-long shutdowns: a 43-day lapse last fall — the longest in US history — sparked when Democrats refused spending bills that did not extend Affordable Care Act subsidy renewals, followed by a 76-day shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security that ended in April, per NPR. Democrats had rejected the House's July CR, which funded immigration enforcement agencies without new conduct guardrails, and the two parties have clashed over the scope of federal spending, with Democrats rejecting the push toward a massive $1.5 trillion military budget, NBC News reports. Both sides instead chose to defuse the fight ahead of the November 3 elections, with top House Democrats saying the Senate version met their objectives.

The Senate's version differed from the House's earlier attempt in ways that won over Democratic leaders. CNN reports the Senate measure dropped new funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, which have already been funded through the end of Trump's term, and temporarily blocked a proposed administration rule that critics warn would politicize federal grants. According to AP's report on Federal News Network, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said the bill prevents DHS from transferring funds to the Border Patrol and delays the grants rule — which Democrats fear could steer money away from Democratic-led states — calling the delay an important first step. House Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar told reporters before the vote that broad bipartisan support was likely because the party's objectives were met.

Lawmakers were determined not to let another funding lapse collide with the campaign season. Kiggans warned in her statement that another partisan shutdown would jeopardize timely paychecks for troops and federal workers and disrupt SNAP benefits for vulnerable Americans, and she has introduced the Pay Our Troops Act three times to protect military pay during shutdowns. House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., said the bill gives the nation certainty that the government will remain open and service members will be paid, per Federal News Network.

The stopgap buys roughly ten weeks, but the full-year funding fight remains unresolved and will likely spill past the midterms. Cole told NBC News he wants to finish all 12 appropriations bills before the end of the year but said whether that happens will not be known until after the election, since the midterm results will change everyone's calculations in lame-duck negotiations. Republicans are seeking hundreds of billions in additional military spending while cutting most non-defense programs, and Democrats call that a non-starter, insisting on parity for domestic programs, AP reports via Federal News Network. Kiggans said she has supported all three FY27 appropriations bills the House has passed and looks forward to advancing the nine remaining bills to fully fund the government through 2027.

The midterms loom over every calculation. Most forecasters believe Democrats have an edge in retaking the House, and The Guardian reports mounting signs the minority could also regain the Senate by winning seats in at least three states that voted for Trump two years ago, as the president struggles with approval ratings hurt by persistent inflation and the war with Iran. Whichever party prevails will feel empowered to press its demands in the December negotiations, and DeLauro has said she hopes to chair the Appropriations Committee again if Democrats win the House, though she says her only priority is finalizing a full funding deal before 2027 begins. For now, both parties leave Washington having taken the biggest legislative item off the list and headed back to the campaign trail.