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The House narrowly passed a seven-week stopgap funding bill on Friday, moving one step closer to averting a government shutdown on Oct. 1 but setting up a likely clash with the Senate.
The 217-212 vote was almost entirely along party lines. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., could afford to lose only two Republicans, and he did: Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Victoria Spartz of Indiana opposed the measure. In the sole Democratic defection, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine voted in favor.
The bill would keep federal agencies funded through Nov. 21, giving lawmakers more time to negotiate long-term spending levels. It includes White House-backed provisions such as greater flexibility to fund the WIC nutrition program for low-income mothers and children, authorization for D.C. to use its full locally raised budget, and new security funding — $30 million for lawmakers, $58 million for executive branch officials and Supreme Court justices — following a surge in political violence and the recent assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Senate roadblock ahead
Despite the House win, the measure is expected to fail in the Senate, where Democrats are demanding additional provisions, including an extension of enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act insurance. Republicans argue the issue should be handled separately.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Republicans of deliberately steering toward a shutdown. “When Donald Trump says don’t even bother to deal with Democrats, he says he wants a shutdown. Plain and simple,” Schumer said.
Both chambers are set to vote Friday on competing funding proposals — each expected to fall short of the 60 votes needed to advance, leaving Congress at a standstill days before the deadline.
GOP shift on stopgaps
The House vote highlighted a notable shift among conservative Republicans. Once hostile to short-term spending bills, hardliners in the Freedom Caucus supported this stopgap, framing it as a more conservative alternative to a bipartisan deal. Trump himself urged Republicans to back it.
The measure also marks the second time this year House Republicans have passed a funding bill without Democratic support, underscoring Johnson’s ability to unify his conference despite sharp internal divisions over spending.
Still, last-minute maneuvering was needed. Ahead of the vote, Johnson promised members a separate security package next month and pointed to ongoing negotiations over the 2026 legislative branch spending bill, which could provide additional resources.
Whether the stopgap becomes law now depends on Senate action — and both sides appear dug in. If neither chamber blinks, Congress could stumble into another high-stakes showdown as federal funding expires at midnight on Sept. 30.
