The House of Representatives voted on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, to approve a short-term funding bill that prevents a federal government shutdown. The legislation, passed in a 370-48 vote, extends current spending levels through December 11, moving the deadline past the upcoming midterm elections.
The measure, known as a continuing resolution, follows the breakdown of bipartisan negotiations in the Senate for a full-year budget. While the House Appropriations Committee advanced all 12 annual funding bills since April, only three passed the full House, and none have moved through the Senate committee process. This impasse left federal funding set to expire on September 30.
The immediate day-to-day impact is that federal workers will continue to receive regular paychecks and government offices will maintain standard hours of operation through the fall. However, the short-term nature of the fix means another funding deadline will arrive in mid-December. At that time, Congress must either pass 12 full-year appropriation bills or another stopgap measure. House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) stated that if an agreement is not reached by the new deadline, the government will face another potential shutdown or a year-long stopgap. President Trump is expected to sign the measure.
What happens next: The bill now moves to President Trump for his signature before the September 30 deadline. Lawmakers are scheduled to be out of session for most of October for campaigning. Congress will return after the November midterms to resume budget negotiations before the new December 11 expiration date.