House Passes Stopgap Bill Funding Government Through Dec. 11, Punting Fight Past Midterms
The House voted 370-48 on Tuesday to pass a continuing resolution funding the federal government at current levels through December 11, taking a potential shutdown off the table before the fiscal year ends September 30. The bill had already cleared the Senate 90-6 in July and now heads to President Trump's desk for signature. Congress has completed only three of the twelve annual appropriations bills needed to fund the government for the fiscal year running through September 2027.
The stopgap includes provisions blocking a proposed Office of Management and Budget rule that would put federal grant funding under review by political appointees, and language preventing the administration from shifting funds from other programs to Border Patrol. It also delays a congressionally enacted ban on intoxicating hemp products by a month, a provision some Republicans opposed. Nineteen Republicans and twenty-nine Democrats voted against the bill for different reasons, with hardliners objecting to the hemp delay and the grant-review block.
The move comes as the national debt crossed $40 trillion last month and follows three partial government shutdowns during Trump's second term that totaled 161 days, the longest in US history. The new deadline sets up a spending fight in December, after voters have already gone to the polls in the November midterms.
What supporters say:
Avoiding a shutdown protects military pay and keeps agencies like homeland security and law enforcement running without disruption during campaign season.
A clean, short-term extension buys negotiators more time to finish full-year appropriations bills instead of rushing a deal under deadline pressure.
Removing the shutdown threat from the campaign trail lets both parties focus on policy differences rather than blame over a lapse in funding.
What critics say:
The bill does nothing to address the $40 trillion national debt or the affordability concerns voters have named as their top issue.
Punting the fight until after the midterms lets both parties avoid accountability for spending disputes until the political stakes have changed.
Provisions like the one-month hemp ban delay and the block on the OMB grant-review rule were tucked into a must-pass bill instead of debated on their own merits.
What's your take?
Was punting the government funding fight until after the midterm elections the right move? Yes 
No 
Other 
Sources:
The Hill: House passes short-term funding bill to avoid shutdown before midterms
NBC News: House passes short-term funding bill to prevent a shutdown
#GovernmentShutdown #Congress #FederalBudget #Midterms2026
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