The House of Representatives has approved a bipartisan funding bill that will keep the federal government operational until December 11, thereby averting a shutdown before the November 3 midterm elections. The measure passed with a vote of 370-48 and now heads to President Trump for his signature.
Republican leadership brought the bill forward on the second day of lawmakers' return from a five-week recess. The House is scheduled to adjourn on October 1 for campaigning ahead of the midterms, but the early passage of this spending bill has raised expectations that members might be able to leave session earlier than planned.
The continuing resolution, as the spending bill is officially known, was amended by the Senate during the House's recess. Key Democratic priorities, including increased funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), were incorporated into the bill. Additionally, a rule that would have granted the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) greater authority over funding was delayed.
Congress is constitutionally mandated to pass 12 appropriations bills annually to fund government operations, with the fiscal year beginning on October 1. This process has not been completed on time since the 1990s, leading to frequent reliance on continuing resolutions to maintain government functions. The government has experienced 122 days of shutdowns across three separate occasions in the past year.