Senate leaders from both parties announced a bipartisan agreement on Sunday to keep the federal government funded past the 2026 midterm elections, averting a politically damaging shutdown that had loomed over Capitol Hill as the September 30 deadline approached.
The deal centers on a continuing resolution that would extend current government funding levels through at least mid-November, ensuring that agencies remain operational through Election Day. The agreement was reached after weeks of negotiations between Senate Appropriations Committee leaders and top party officials in both chambers.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, had been spearheading the effort to craft a stopgap spending bill that could win enough bipartisan support to clear the 60-vote filibuster threshold. The committee reached agreement on the framework over the weekend, setting up a floor vote as early as Monday evening.
The legislation would also fund previously approved FY 2026 appropriations bills that have been stalled in the Senate, wrapping up the current fiscal year’s spending in a single legislative package. Congress has not yet completed regular order on any of the 12 annual spending bills for the current fiscal year.
A government shutdown in the weeks before the midterms would have been politically catastrophic for the Republican majority, which has struggled to pass major legislation despite controlling both chambers and the White House. Democrats had signaled they would not provide the votes needed to overcome a filibuster unless Republicans agreed to certain concessions on domestic spending priorities.
The deal also comes as Congress faces a packed August calendar, with a Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination scheduled for Tuesday and continued debate over the administration’s Iran policy. Leadership had been eager to clear the spending bill off the table before those contentious votes take center stage.
House passage is expected to follow quickly once the Senate clears the measure, though some conservative members have expressed frustration that the continuing resolution does not include deeper spending cuts or policy riders on immigration enforcement.
Sources: NBC News, UPI, Federal Bar Association