US House passes funding bill to avert government shutdown ahead of midterms

The United States House of Representatives has approved a temporary spending measure that will keep the federal government funded through December 11.

The measure passed by a vote of 370 to 48 on Tuesday after clearing the Senate on August 8. It now goes to President Donald Trump for his signature.

Prior to Tuesday’s stopgap measure, existing government funding was set to expire on October 1, after the new fiscal year begins.

Normally, Congress must pass 12 spending bills to fully fund the federal government’s programmes. Those spending bills are divided into categories such as homeland security, energy, housing and defence.

But Congress has yet to finish such bills for the 2027 fiscal year, which runs through September 30, 2027.

The stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution, allows lawmakers more time to negotiate the full-year spending bills.

The vote also removes the immediate threat of another government shutdown as lawmakers prepare for the midterm elections on November 3. The elections will decide which party controls each of Congress’s two chambers — a factor that could shape upcoming budget negotiations.

Government shutdowns are widely unpopular in the US. If one were to happen before an election, political analysts speculate it would dampen the chances of re-election for sitting lawmakers.