Archive · 8 Aug 2026
Senate Passes Short-Term Funding Bill to Avert Shutdown Before Election
The U.S. government needs money to pay for things like roads, schools, and food programs, just like a family needs money to buy groceries.
Every year, Congress decides how much money the government can spend and how to use it.
If Congress doesn't make this decision in time, the government has to stop many of its services, which is called a shutdown.
To stop that from happening, the Senate voted this weekend to give the government money to keep working until December 11.
The House of Representatives made its own money plan earlier, and now the two groups have to agree on one final plan.
After they agree, President Donald Trump must sign the plan, and all of this has to happen before September 30.
Democrats liked some parts of the Senate's plan because it stops the president from taking money meant for other programs and using it for border security.
The plan also protects money for housing and food assistance programs.
It stops the White House from putting political appointees in charge of large amounts of grant money, at least for now.
The Republican-led U.S. Senate passed a temporary measure on Saturday to fund federal agencies through December 11.
The bill is intended to avert a crippling federal government shutdown weeks before the November 3 midterm elections.
The Republican-controlled House passed its own short-term funding measure last month, and the two chambers must now resolve their differences.
Current funding expires on September 30, and President Donald Trump must sign the final bill into law before then.
Democrats said the Senate version, unlike the House version, would prevent the Trump administration from reallocating funding to border security and would temporarily block a rule giving political appointees control over grant money.
- Who
- The Republican-led U.S. Senate, which passed the funding measure; the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, which passed its own version; and President Donald Trump, who must sign the final bill.
- What
- Passage of a temporary short-term funding bill to keep federal agencies operating through December 11 and avert a government shutdown.
- When
- Saturday, with the current funding expiring on September 30 and the November 3 midterm elections approaching.
- Where
- Washington, United States.
- Why
- To avert a crippling federal government shutdown weeks before the November midterm elections.
Democrats
Republicans and White House
Border Security Funding Reallocation
Democrats
Senate Democrats support the Senate version because it would prevent the Trump administration from reallocating funding to border security from other programs.
Republicans and White House
The House version, passed by the Republican-controlled House, does not include the same restriction on reallocating funding to border security.
Political Control of Grant Money
Democrats
Senate Democrats support the provision that temporarily blocks the White House budget office from implementing the new rule giving political appointees control over grant money.
Republicans and White House
The White House budget office's new rule, which the Senate measure temporarily blocks, would give political appointees control over hundreds of billions of dollars in grant money.
- Senate action
- Passed temporary funding measure on Saturday
- Funding runs through
- December 11
- Current funding expires
- September 30
- Midterm election date
- November 3
- House action
- Passed its own short-term funding measure last month
- Next step
- Chambers must resolve differences before President Trump signs the bill
- Democratic priorities
- Prevent reallocation of funds to border security; allow adjustments for housing and food assistance programs
- Grant money rule
- Senate measure temporarily blocks rule giving political appointees control over grant money