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.