House Returns to Pass Funding Bill, Avert Shutdown

The U.S. House of Representatives returned to Washington on Monday, August 31, 2026, from a five-week recess with a primary objective: to pass a short-term government funding bill and avert a shutdown before the November midterm elections. The legislative agenda for the abbreviated week also includes a symbolic resolution condemning socialism and a potential ethics censure vote, as Republican leaders seek to shape the political narrative ahead of the fall campaign. The central task is to approve a Senate-passed continuing resolution that would fund the federal government through December 11. The Senate approved the bipartisan measure in a 90-6 vote earlier in August, while the House was on its district work period. House GOP leaders plan to bring the bill to the floor under a suspension of the rules, a procedure requiring a two-thirds majority, which would necessitate significant Democratic support. The Senate version includes provisions to temporarily delay a ban on certain hemp-derived products and to bar the Trump administration from finalizing a plan to give political appointees control over federal grant approvals.