Washington — On Tuesday, the House of Representatives approved a bill aimed at extending government funding through December, successfully avoiding a potential shutdown as the November midterm elections approach.
Earlier in August, the Senate had endorsed this bipartisan funding proposal before entering a five-week recess, while the House was already on an extended summer break. Upon returning on Monday, the House swiftly moved to pass the bill with a significant majority, voting 370 to 48, as GOP leaders expedited its approval, necessitating a two-thirds majority for passage.
The new funding deadline is set for December 11, which comes more than a month after the midterm elections, a period during which the power dynamics in both the House and Senate will be determined for the next two years.
Since April, the House Appropriations Committee has forwarded all twelve annual appropriations bills essential for federal government funding, with three having already received approval from the full House. However, the process has encountered delays in the Senate, where none of the funding bills have advanced out of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Republican from Louisiana, emphasized the importance of ensuring government operations remain funded and effective, stating, “We want to get a longer-term deal, but at a minimum, let’s ensure that we can continue to see government properly funded and functioning.”
Meanwhile, GOP Representative Tom Cole from Oklahoma, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, expressed skepticism regarding whether the extension would provide sufficient time for Congress to finalize full-year funding legislation. He criticized Senate Democrats for not passing any bills, declaring, “The Senate has wasted the entire year and a half. There’s no excuse for not having a single one done.”
Cole indicated that Congress might have to resort to a yearlong stopgap measure to resolve the impasse in December or face a government shutdown. “We’re going to be in a crunch time,” he warned.
Without a temporary funding measure, the lack of legislative progress would almost guarantee a shutdown following the funding expiration on September 30. Such a scenario could significantly disrupt the lives of ordinary Americans and derail lawmakers’ campaign strategies, as Congress is expected to be out of session for most of October to allow members to focus on their campaigns in their home districts.
Initially, the House had passed a Republican-backed bill in July to maintain funding at current levels until December 4, although it received minimal support from House Democrats, who sought limitations on Border Patrol funding. Subsequently, the Senate passed a bipartisan measure extending the deadline to December 11, which incorporated several Democratic priorities, including provisions aimed at closing a loophole that previously enabled the Trump administration to reroute funds to Border Patrol, as well as language to temporarily prevent political appointees from canceling federal grants.
During a caucus meeting on Tuesday morning, Representative Rosa DeLauro from Connecticut, the leading Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, urged her colleagues to back the stopgap measure, as noted by Representative Pete Aguilar of California. “That’s a big statement from the ranking member,” Aguilar remarked, acknowledging DeLauro’s influence.
