Senate Appropriations Committee Passes Bipartisan Stopgap Funding Bill to Avert Shutdown and Block OMB Grant Rule

Senators on the Senate Appropriations Committee announced a short-term continuing resolution (CR) that would keep federal agencies operating at current funding levels through Dec. 11. The measure also bars the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from implementing a proposed grant-rule change. It includes adjustments for programs such as WIC, the Disaster Relief Fund, and shipbuilding, while excluding the administration’s request for $1 billion to start procurement of “Trump-class” battleships. Senate leaders hope to bring the CR to a floor vote before the chamber departs for its August recess.

Senator Murray on Release of CR Text

Congress has missed the Sept. 30 deadline for the twelve annual appropriations bills, prompting a stopgap measure to avoid a shutdown before the midterm elections. The May-released OMB rule would give senior political appointees authority to review and potentially terminate discretionary grants, a change Democrats and some Republicans say would politicize federal research funding. Earlier this year, former President Donald Trump called for a 44 % increase in defense spending and a 10 % cut to non-defense programs, also seeking battleship funding that was left out of the CR.

Associated PressDetroit NewsThe HillSenator Murray on Release of CR Text The HillRoll Call

• July 28, 2026 – Photo captured the Capitol, underscoring the looming fiscal deadline.

Associated Press

• Sunday (early August) – Senate Appropriations Committee reaches agreement on the CR.

The Hill

• Monday – Procedural vote scheduled to move the measure forward.

Roll Call

• Early August – Senate leadership hopes to pass the CR before the month-long recess.

Associated Press

• Aug. 31 – House returns from recess, a date that could affect final passage.

Associated Press

• Funding extension runs through Dec. 11.

The Hill

• The OMB rule would affect hundreds of billions of dollars in federal grants.

Detroit News

• The White House’s battleship request totals $1 billion; it was omitted from the CR.

Senator Murray on Release of CR Text

• Trump’s budget proposals include a 44 % boost to defense spending and a 10 % cut to non-defense programs.

Associated Press

Vice-chair Patty Murray (D-Washington) called the measure a “responsible path forward” that prevents the administration from “politicizing all federal grants.”

Senator Murray on Release of CR Text

The House has already passed a Republican-crafted stopgap that funds the government through Dec. 4, but Senate negotiators say additional “anomalies” are needed, creating uncertainty about whether the House will adopt the Senate version. The OMB has not responded to requests for comment on the rule or the CR’s language.

The Hill

• “While Republicans rejected killing the proposed rule outright, I’m going to keep fighting to put a stop to it once and for all, and I will keep pressing my Republican colleagues to do exactly that,” — Sen. Patty Murray

Associated Press

• “Look, if I wanted a new billion-dollar thing, I would not be within my rights to demand it on a 60-day funding patch,” — Sen. Brian Schatz

Roll Call

Senate leaders aim to secure a vote on the CR before the August recess. If passed, the government would remain funded through Dec. 11; the House’s return on Aug. 31 will be critical for reconciling any remaining differences. A failure would trigger a shutdown on Oct. 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

Associated Press