House passes stopgap funding bill to keep government open through December

The House approved a short-term funding measure by a 370-48 vote, sending it to President Trump for signature. The bill aims to avoid a government shutdown before the midterm elections. Lawmakers sought to prevent a repeat of recent lengthy shutdowns that disrupted federal operations.

The 370-48 vote margin reflects broad bipartisan agreement that another funding lapse would be politically untenable with elections approaching. The two recent shutdowns—a 43-day closure triggered by a dispute over an expiring health insurance tax credit, followed by a 76-day Department of Homeland Security shutdown—disrupted federal operations and pay for service members, leaving lawmakers on both sides eager to avoid a third.

The measure maintains current agency funding through December 11 and includes Senate-added provisions that block DHS from shifting money toward Border Patrol and delay a proposed rule expanding political appointees' authority over federal grant disbursement. Democrats view those changes as partial safeguards, though they remain concerned about the underlying grant policy. The December deadline pushes contentious full-year appropriations negotiations into the post-election lame-duck session, where Republicans' push for increased military spending and cuts to non-defense programs will likely face stiff Democratic resistance.