House, wary of shutdown before midterms, pushes budget talks to December
Christian Science Monitor · C · trust 37/100
| Aaron Schwartz/Reuters House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill, Sept. 1, 2026. Alongside Mr. Johnson are Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain of Michigan and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana. Loading...
Sept. 01, 2026, 3:45 p.m. ET | Washington
The House on Tuesday punted a potential government shutdown until after the midterm elections, passing a resolution to keep funding at current levels until Dec. 11. The vote was 370-48.
“We’re tackling it early. We’re not waiting until the 11th hour,” Republican Rep. Bob Onder of Missouri said in an interview. Avoiding the pain of previous shutdowns, he added, “is good for both parties (and) the American people.”
Congress usually doesn’t tackle funding the government until it absolutely has to. But Republicans and Democrats, whose budget impasses have already led to two shutdowns during President Donald Trump’s second term, have signaled they are far apart on budget priorities. With that in mind, Senate Republicans in August put off major priorities – such as Iran war funding and advancing a landmark cryptocurrency bill – to pass a funding bill about a month ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline.
Government shutdowns are becoming more common. But the desire to avoid a potential impasse before the midterms motivated Congress to keep the government funded into early December.
House members took up the bill, known as a continuing resolution, as one of their first priorities upon returning to Washington this week, passing it with a two-thirds majority. The president is expected to sign the resolution.
Republican Rep. John McGuire of Virginia and Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts both said the vote gets the parties past the elections and buys time to grapple with budget talks.
“Nobody wants to see long lines at TSA,” said Representative McGuire, referring to the Transportation Security Administration.
The early action underscores how the growing frequency of shutdown fights is driving changes in how Capitol Hill operates when it comes to one of its most important functions each year: funding the government.
Deepen your worldview with Monitor Highlights.
Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads .
There's a world of new ideas in every Books newsletter .
There’s more to life, enrich yours with Culture & Learning weekly.
Follow humanity’s discoveries with Science & Nature stories in your inbox.
Gain a spiritual perspective from the stories in your inbox.
Want to understand the deeper impact of critical events? Learn the Monitor’s insight.
Get the Monitor Stories you care about delivered to your inbox.
Thank you for signing up for a free Monitor Newsletter!
Congress must pass a budget by the end of September – and shutdowns, when they happen, often take place in October. This year, Republicans in particular appeared wary of a potential shutdown the month before elections that could put Democrats in control of at least one chamber. Analysts say Democrats are favored to retake the House and have a real chance in the Senate.
Lengthy government shutdowns are becoming more common. In 2013, during the Barack Obama presidency, the government shut down for 16 days. The first Trump administration saw a then-record 35-day stoppage, which was exceeded by a 43-day shutdown last year.
Monitor journalism changes lives because we open that too-small box that most people think they live in. We believe news can and should expand a sense of identity and possibility beyond narrow conventional expectations.
Our work isn't possible without your support.
We want to hear, did we miss an angle we should have covered? Should we come back to this topic? Or just give us a rating for this story. We want to hear from you.
Read the original at Christian Science Monitor →
Open in TruthVane →