Senate Republicans unveiled a bipartisan stopgap funding bill Sunday that would prevent a government shutdown weeks before the 2026 midterm elections, though not every GOP lawmaker is on board.
The continuing resolution, negotiated by Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) and Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), would keep most federal agencies funded through December 11 while lawmakers continue negotiating full-year appropriations bills beyond the September 30 funding deadline.
The Senate is expected to hold an initial procedural vote Monday evening, with Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) hoping to pass the measure before lawmakers depart Washington for the August recess.
The agreement represents a different approach from the House, which passed its own stopgap funding measure largely along party lines last month. Senate Republicans instead pursued a bipartisan compromise that can clear the chamber’s 60-vote threshold, making Democratic support essential.
Collins called the legislation a “major step toward averting a damaging shutdown that only harms vital programs and federal workers.”
“This measure gives Congress the time we need to continue our work on bipartisan appropriations bills, which are always my strong preference for handling annual government funding,” Collins said in a statement.
Not every Republican supports the deal.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) blasted the compromise over the weekend, arguing it gives away too much to Democrats.
“Will I vote for it? The short answer is no. The long answer is hell no,” Kennedy said during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press.
The Senate proposal includes several funding adjustments, known as anomalies, affecting programs such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), disaster relief, national security initiatives, and shipbuilding.
The legislation also temporarily blocks implementation of a proposed Office of Management and Budget rule governing federal grant approvals, a provision Democrats argued would give the administration too much authority over distributing federal funds.
Murray called the Senate package “a much-improved CR to keep the government funded and avert a shutdown that no one wants.”
Even if the Senate passes the legislation this week, its path through the House remains uncertain. House Republicans approved a different continuing resolution before leaving Washington for the August recess, meaning the two chambers will need to reconcile their competing approaches before the September 30 funding deadline.
Congressional leaders have signaled that avoiding a shutdown has become an increasingly urgent priority as both parties head into a closely contested midterm election season.
If enacted, the continuing resolution would fund the federal government through December 11, giving lawmakers additional time to negotiate a longer-term spending package after the November elections.
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