Senate Advances Bipartisan Stopgap Bill to Fund Government Through December, Averting Pre-Election Shutdown

Aug 3, 2026

The U.S. Senate voted 89-4 on August 3, 2026, to advance a bipartisan stopgap spending bill designed to avert a government shutdown ahead of the midterm elections. The continuing resolution funds federal agencies through December 11, 2026, but faces an uncertain future in the House. The Senate bill blocks the Trump administration from transferring funds to the Border Patrol and temporarily halts a controversial OMB rule that would allow political appointees to cancel federal grants.

Senate bipartisan stopgap funding bill

▪The Senate stopgap bill, known as a continuing resolution, would extend federal government funding at current levels through December 11, 2026.
▪Senators Elizabeth Warren, Tim Kaine, Bernie Sanders, and Rand Paul voted against advancing the Senate stopgap spending bill on August 3, 2026.
▪The United States Senate voted 89-4 on August 3, 2026, to clear the first procedural hurdle for a bipartisan stopgap government funding bill.

OMB grants rule politicization controversy

▪The blocked Office of Management and Budget rule would force the agency to continue reviewing approximately 500,000 public comments submitted regarding the proposal.
▪The Senate stopgap bill temporarily blocks the Office of Management and Budget from implementing a proposed rule that would allow political appointees to review and cancel federal grants.

House-Senate CR differences

▪The House-passed stopgap bill was opposed by almost all House Democrats because it lacked restrictions on the Trump administration's funding transfers.
▪The House of Representatives passed its own stopgap funding bill before recessing, which would extend government funding only through December 4, 2026.

Border Patrol funding restrictions

▪The Senate stopgap bill rejects a $1 billion funding request from President Donald Trump for proposed 'Trump-class' battleships.
▪The Senate stopgap bill blocks a loophole present in the House bill that would allow the Trump administration to transfer funds from other programs to the Border Patrol.

December 11 shutdown deadline

▪The push for an early stopgap bill follows two major government shutdowns in the past year, including a record 43-day shutdown and a subsequent 76-day DHS funding lapse.
▪The current fiscal year ends on September 30, 2026, meaning a government shutdown will occur on October 1, 2026, if Congress fails to pass a funding measure.