House Republicans released a stopgap spending measure Tuesday that would avert a government shutdown at the start of fiscal 2026 and include roughly $30 million in additional security funding for lawmakers in the wake of recent high-profile killings.
The proposal, a continuing resolution that would keep government funding at current levels through Nov. 21, is scheduled for a House vote Friday and would require President Donald Trump’s signature by Oct. 1 to take effect. House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil, R-Wis., briefed GOP members on the plan and outlined the proposed lawmaker security increase during the conference meeting.
Steil and other GOP leaders said the roughly $30 million would be added to a mutual-aid fund administered by the U.S. Capitol Police to reimburse local law enforcement that provides security for members in their districts for the duration of the continuing resolution. The measure would also include $58 million requested by the Trump administration for judicial and executive branch security and roughly $1 billion in funding for Washington, D.C.’s annual budget.
Republican leaders framed the move as an immediate response to heightened concerns about public officials’ safety after the political violence that included the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a college speaking event in Utah and the earlier killing of a Minnesota state lawmaker. "The tragedy has also initiated a number of uncomfortable but necessary conversations about important issues, like the safety and security of our members," House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a press conference, noting the need to reduce violent rhetoric.
Despite broad GOP support for expanding security resources, some House Republicans expressed reservations about the short-term measure and about the current state of Capitol security. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said he remained undecided on the bill and described member security as inadequate, saying leadership and personnel decisions would be required to address underlying problems. Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., publicly signaled concerns about supporting a continuing resolution.
Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., said the mutual-aid boost was meant as an interim step while lawmakers consider more permanent enhancements during the FY 2026 appropriations process. "What you're trying to do, put in perspective, is if you had 24/7 for every member, all 435, it's billions of dollars," Fitzgerald said, describing the need to strike a balance between expanded protection and fiscal constraints.
House Democrats have voiced frustration about being sidelined in GOP-led funding talks and threatened to oppose the continuing resolution en masse, presenting a potential obstacle for Johnson in a House where Republicans hold a two-seat majority. Johnson warned that Democrats who vote against the GOP proposal would bear responsibility for any shutdown, calling opposition "a fool's gambit." If Democrats were to unite against the measure, its prospects would depend on GOP unity, where even a small number of defections could imperil passage.
If the House passes the CR on the Friday timetable announced by leadership, the measure would then go to the Senate for consideration. Senate action and any amendments could alter the timeline or content of the proposal before it reaches the White House. Administration officials had requested the additional judicial and executive branch security funding that is included in the Republican package.
Lawmakers said the short-term funding approach is intended to give House and Senate negotiators additional time to reach a longer-term appropriations agreement. Several Republicans said they expect broader, more permanent lawmaker security changes to be addressed in the regular appropriations cycle for fiscal 2026, where lawmakers can weigh staffing, resource and operational options beyond the temporary mutual-aid increase.
The debate over the continuing resolution highlights competing priorities within and between the parties: an urgent desire among many members to respond quickly to threats against public officials, and Democrats’ insistence on being involved in funding negotiations and on broader policy and spending issues. With a deadline days away, lawmakers in both chambers face a compressed schedule to secure agreement and to avoid a shutdown that would begin the new fiscal year.