WASHINGTON — The House voted Tuesday to pass a short-term funding bill and avert a government shutdown at the end of September, keeping money flowing at current levels until Dec. 11.
Page A3From§Eachthe early bird edition — 1 September 2026
Congress funds government for two months, declares shutdown averted, schedules next shutdown for December
The Congressional shutdown ritual has entered its biannual phase: Congress, with much fanfare, passes a short-term funding bill to keep the government running, averting a shutdown just ahead of the midterms. The headlines—'averted shutdown,' 'bipartisan solution,' 'win before elections'—all carry the same subtext: the problem is not solved, merely postponed. The ledger stays open, the threat lingers, and the calendar marks December as the new cliff. Each cycle, the fix is a patch, never a repair. The language changes—one year it's a 'crisis averted,' the next it's a 'robust bridge'—but the outcome is identical: another countdown, another round of brinkmanship, and the same fundamental questions about what gets funded, who pays, and who gets left holding the bag. The stakes are as literal as ever: paychecks, benefits, basic operations, all hanging on a clock. In lieu of flowers, the committee recommends a full-year budget, but the schedule says: see you in December.
“They didn't fix the budget, they just hit snooze. We'll do this dance again right before Christmas and call it a win. The stakes don't change: same cliff, new calendar.”
“This is a responsible, bipartisan solution to keep government functioning. Of course, the funding is temporary, but that's just how the process works—wait, did I say 'temporary'? No, it's a robust bridge to further negotiations. The important thing is, we didn't shut down. Yet.”
The receipts
Lawmakers sent the legislation to President Trump in an overwhelming vote, reflecting bipartisan enthusiasm around punting a messy spending fight until after the midterms.
With just a few weeks to spare, the House approved legislation extending funding through mid-December.
The House on Tuesday voted to send a short-term extension of government funding to President Trump’s desk, avoiding a politically risky shutdown before the midterm elections. The continuing resolution (CR), which funds the government through Dec. 11, passed the House on a 370-48 vote, with 19 Republicans and 29 Democrats voting in…
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.