The U.S. Senate is moving forward with a bipartisan plan to keep the federal government funded through Dec. 11, as lawmakers seek to avoid a costly government shutdown ahead of the November midterm elections. Senate appropriators unveiled the continuing resolution (CR) on Sunday, a measure intended to maintain current funding levels with certain exceptions.
Senate Advances Bipartisan Funding Plan to Avert Shutdown
The Senate’s approach follows a period of instability characterized by two record-breaking shutdowns. According to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., the government previously suffered the longest shutdown in U.S. history from Oct. 1, 2025, to Nov. 12, 2025, and a subsequent partial shutdown that lasted more than 70 days.
The current funding deadline is Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. While the Senate pursues a bipartisan product, it faces a potential clash with the House of Representatives, which previously passed a different stopgap measure.
House and Senate Diverge on Funding Timelines
Before departing for a lengthy August recess, the House of Representatives passed its own continuing resolution in a 220-205 vote. The House bill would have funded the government through Dec. 4. That measure passed largely along party lines, with only six Democrats supporting it.
House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pushed the measure to avoid a funding crisis before the midterms. However, House Democrats opposed the bill due to concerns regarding Trump’s election fraud propaganda and funding for ICE deportations. Additionally, some House Republicans briefly delayed progress to pressure the Senate into passing the SAVE America Act, which would require photo ID for casting ballots and proof of citizenship for voter registration.
The Senate’s strategy differs due to its 60-vote threshold required to advance most legislation, necessitating Democratic support. Majority Leader Thune tasked Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, with drafting a bipartisan and clean
resolution.
Key Provisions and Democratic Support
Senate Democrats have praised the Dec. 11 proposal as a significant improvement over the House version. Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democratic appropriator in the Senate, stated the measure includes important extensions and language missing from the House Republican CR, while rejecting what she termed Trump’s frivolous war spending wish list
.
Specific points of contention and resolution in the Senate bill include:
- Grant Protections: Senate Democrats secured language to temporarily prevent administration political appointees from implementing a proposed grants rule that could allow the administration to cancel grants.
- Program Extensions: The Senate version includes extensions for “anomalies”—programs expected to run out of funding by Sept. 30—which Democrats argued were lacking in the House product.
- Excluded Provisions: Democrats were unable to secure a provision to prevent “pocket rescissions,” which would stop the administration from clawing back previously appropriated funding.
Sen. Collins described the measure as a major step toward averting a damaging shutdown
and noted that it avoids any poison pills
.
Political Stakes Ahead of Midterms
The struggle to fund the government is occurring against a backdrop of intense political maneuvering. House Republicans have blamed Democrats for past shutdowns, while Democrats point to the GOP’s control of the White House and both chambers of Congress during recent lapses.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the Senate’s continuing resolution as a responsible path forward
that allows for continued bipartisan negotiations. Meanwhile, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., criticized the Democratic opposition to the House bill, claiming they were voting for another damning Schumer Shutdown
.
With the Sept. 30 deadline approaching, the Senate’s Dec. 11 plan aims to push the funding battle past the November elections to prevent further political instability.
