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2w ago

Senate Pursues Bipartisan Continuing Resolution as House Sends Dec. 4 Stopgap

Senate leaders are racing to secure 60 votes for a short-term funding deal before the August recess with reconciliation held as a fallback option.

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Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., is seeking automatic funding extensions to avoid government shutdowns. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has called on his colleagues to pass a bill that would extend current funding past the November midterm elections. (Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images)
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, speaks to reporters following a policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol, July 21, 2026. 

Overview

  • The House passed a continuing resolution on Tuesday that would fund the government through Dec. 4 and forwarded the measure to the Senate for consideration.
  • Senate Majority Leader John Thune has asked Appropriations Chair Susan Collins to craft a bipartisan CR that can clear the 60-vote cloture threshold required to advance most Senate legislation.
  • Thune has signaled he will bring a bipartisan CR to the floor before the August recess but has warned reconciliation could be used as a majority-only backup if bipartisan support fails.
  • Appropriators are debating structural fixes to prevent future shutdowns, including Sen. James Lankford’s proposal for automatic 14-day CR extensions that would keep lawmakers in session until a deal is reached.
  • Time is tight because August recesses leave only a narrow window of overlapping session days before the Oct. 1 funding lapse, and recent prolonged shutdowns have sharpened pressure on lawmakers and raised concern for unpaid federal workers.