On Tuesday night, July 22, 2026, the House of Representatives voted to postpone the threat of a government shutdown until after the November midterm elections. House lawmakers approved a bill extending the current fiscal year's funding levels through December, which carries several weeks into fiscal year 2027 starting in October.

This move is seen as a strategic win for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Republicans, who aim to avoid a contentious federal spending fight ahead of what is expected to be a challenging election cycle to maintain their slim majority.

Speaker Johnson criticized Democrats, stating, "Unfortunately, given that Democrats have already forced the two longest government shutdowns in American history in this Congress, one of them for 78 days, they've already demonstrated they don't care what kind of pain they inflict on the American people." He added, "They've shown there's nothing they'd love more than a government shutdown as tens of millions of Americans head to the polls in November."

Meanwhile, Chair of the House Democratic Caucus Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) noted that the administration said all funding was covered within reconciliation 2.0 and suggested there are drafting errors in the continuing resolution that allow Customs and Border Patrol flexibility to transfer funds.

Senator John Thune emphasized the importance of bipartisan cooperation, saying, "I think it's going to be really important that we figure out a path forward to get a bipartisan agreement to fund the government that will keep government open and ensure that government employees are getting paid."

The Senate is currently working on its own continuing resolution amid growing concerns about a potential government shutdown.

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