House passes stopgap funding bill, sends it to Senate

The House of Representatives passed a short-term funding bill on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, aiming to avert a partial government shutdown this fall. The continuing resolution, which would extend federal spending authority through December 4, passed on a mostly party-line vote of 220-205. Six Democrats joined most Republicans in supporting the measure, while one Republican voted against it.

The action comes unusually early, as the current government funding is not set to expire until September 30. Republican leaders framed the move as a necessary step to prevent a politically damaging shutdown ahead of the November midterm elections. House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole said the strategy removes the threat of a shutdown sooner and creates momentum for final negotiations on full-year spending bills for the fiscal year that begins October 1.

Democratic leaders uniformly opposed the measure, arguing it was crafted without bipartisan input and released before the White House submitted its full list of requested adjustments to current spending levels. In a joint statement, top House Democrats called the bill a "premature and desperate attempt by Republicans to abdicate their...