House passes short-term funding bill to avert shutdown

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a short-term spending bill on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, aiming to avert a government shutdown and push the annual funding fight past the November midterm elections. The measure, known as a continuing resolution, passed by a vote of 220 to 205, largely along party lines, with six Democrats joining all but one Republican in support.

The bill would extend current federal funding levels through December 4, 2026, which is several weeks into the new fiscal year that begins October 1. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, described the measure as a clean extension with no controversial add-ons, intended to provide continuity while lawmakers work on the stalled annual appropriations process. The vote came just days before the House is scheduled to leave Washington for a five-week August recess.

Republican leaders framed the early action as necessary to prevent a politically damaging shutdown before voters head to the polls. They cited two previous shutdowns during the current Congress, including a record-long closure from October 1 to November 12, 2025. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole said the goal was to take...