WASHINGTON — The Senate unveiled a bipartisan continuing resolution Sunday, aiming to fund federal agencies through Dec. 11 and avert a government shutdown. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) confirmed the chamber intends to vote on the measure next week before its five-week August recess begins.
The stopgap bill extends fiscal 2026 funding levels for 10 weeks into the new fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. The agreement by Senate appropriators delays a more comprehensive budget negotiation until after the November midterm elections.
The urgency stems from the Sept. 30 deadline for current appropriations. Without a continuing resolution or a full budget, federal operations would cease, halting government services and employee paychecks across the United States.
A central point of negotiation focused on efforts by senators to limit the authority of President Trump's Office of Management and Budget in the upcoming funding cycle. Those provisions seek to reassert congressional control over spending decisions, curbing executive branch discretion in allocating federal funds.
Thune acknowledged the deal was not yet final. "There are a handful of issues that are still under consideration with the CR, but we filed on it today, we're setting it up, we're hoping to vote next week," he said.
Avoiding a shutdown during the campaign season removes a potential liability for incumbents seeking reelection. The five-week August recess acts as a hard deadline, compelling lawmakers to finalize the CR quickly — failure to pass the measure before senators leave Washington would leave the government vulnerable to a shutdown in September.
Maintaining fiscal 2026 spending levels means federal agencies will operate without immediate budget cuts or increases, providing continuity in programs ranging from national defense to public health.
The effort to limit the president's budget office reflects an ongoing power struggle between Congress and the executive branch over spending authority. Senators are pushing for greater oversight of how federal funds are allocated rather than allowing broad executive discretion.
The Senate is expected to hold a procedural vote on the continuing resolution as early as this week, a test of the bipartisan support needed to clear the 60-vote threshold required to overcome a filibuster. If that vote succeeds, the full Senate would move to a final vote before the week's end, sending the CR to the House.
By extending funding through Dec. 11, Congress sets up a lame-duck session showdown over the full fiscal year 2027 budget, pushing contentious spending decisions into a post-election environment where the political dynamics may look very different.
