House Passes Stopgap Funding Bill To Prevent Government Shutdown

The House of Representatives has passed a stopgap measure to fund government programs through December 20, averting a potential government shutdown. The bill was approved with a vote of 341-82, with all opposition coming from Republicans. The Senate is expected to approve the bill and send it to the president's desk for his signature, days ahead of the September 30 deadline when government agencies run out of money.

The continuing resolution, known as a CR, keeps funding levels consistent across most programs through December 20, postponing the broader fight over individual spending bills for federal programs. The bill also boosts funding for the U.S. Secret Service by $231 million following two assassination attempts on President Trump. However, this increase comes from shifting some existing accounts and not from adding to the overall budget level.

House Speaker Mike Johnson needed to rely on Democrats to get the bill through the chamber using a process that required a two-thirds majority. Many of his GOP colleagues on the far right criticized the speaker's decision to move a short-term bill keeping current spending levels and argued leaders should press for significant spending cuts. However, other Republicans, especially those in swing districts eager to return home in the final stretch of the campaign, warned the party would be blamed and face blowback from voters over a shutdown.