Senate appropriators announced a bipartisan agreement Sunday on a stopgap funding measure that would avert a government shutdown at the end of September and keep federal agencies running through Dec. 11. The deal, struck by the leaders of the Appropriations Committee, sets up a procedural vote Monday evening, with leadership aiming to clear the bill before the Senate’s scheduled recess.
The continuing resolution includes what lawmakers described as “necessary adjustments” for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund, and several shipbuilding projects. It also includes a provision that temporarily bars the White House from implementing a proposed rule that would overhaul the federal grant-approval process—a move that has drawn sharp Democratic criticism and bipartisan concern.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the committee’s vice chair, hailed the measure as a check on the administration. “This short-term funding bill blocks a corrupt policy that would allow Trump to hold even more federal grants hostage—and it closes House Republicans’ loophole to pull funding for other agencies to give to Border Patrol,” she said in a statement.
Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) expressed satisfaction with the agreement, specifically citing the halt to the Office of Management and Budget’s proposed rule on federal financial assistance. “This measure gives Congress the time we need to continue our work on bipartisan appropriations bills, which are always my strong preference for handling annual government funding,” Collins said. “I am grateful for the work of my colleagues; this CR is a major step toward averting a damaging shutdown that only harms vital programs and federal workers.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) credited Murray by name on social media, thanking her for the provision blocking the grant-approval process. He called the stopgap “a responsible path forward that allows continued bipartisan negotiations on a budget that delivers for American families.” Schumer added, “Democrats remain committed to funding negotiations that help hardworking Americans get ahead and stymie Trump’s wasteful, corrupt agenda that has failed families.”
Ryan Wrasse, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), told Politico that “passing it now will avert costly government shutdown in the fall.” Thune had expressed hope earlier in the week that a deal could be reached in time for a vote before the recess. The agreement follows intense negotiations over the OMB rule, which Collins had previously criticized as “deeply flawed.” She wrote to OMB Director Russell Vought last month expressing opposition, and noted that “a huge group of organizations” had come out against the rule.
The deal comes as the Senate juggles a crowded agenda, including funding debates, the NDAA, and other priorities. Some Republicans have also threatened to delay recess over unrelated policy demands, but leaders appear confident the CR will pass with bipartisan support.
If approved, the measure would fund the government through Dec. 11, giving appropriators more time to negotiate full-year spending bills. The House is expected to take up the measure after the Senate acts, though the exact timing remains unclear.
