House Passes CR Ahead of August Recess

As August recess rapidly approaches, the House Appropriations Committee passed a continuing resolution (CR) to extend current funding beyond the end of the fiscal year on September 30, to December 4. Notably, six Democrats broke rank with their party to support the stopgap measure, including Representatives Kathy Castor (D-FL), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Don Davis (D-NC), Jared Golden (D-ME), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), and Gabe Vasquez (D-NM). Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) was the only Republican Congressman to vote against the bill. Generally, it is rare for Congress to enact a CR more than two months before the end of the fiscal year.

Still, the stopgap measure is not gaining the support it needs from Congressional Democrats. House Appropriations Committee Democrats released a fact sheet criticizing the lack of bipartisanship in drafting the bill and argued that the CR would not provide adequate funding for several programs. Following the floor vote, House Appropriations Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) stated, “Now that we are done wasting time on this incomplete, hastily constructed, one-sided continuing resolution, let’s work together to get an agreement we can all support.” Further, Senate Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), and Minority Conference Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-CA) issued a joint statement that they will not support the CR, writing that the stopgap measure is a “desperate attempt by Republicans to abdicate their responsibility to govern while there are still several months left to negotiate a bipartisan agreement.”

Amidst the Senate Republicans dwindling majority, they will need bipartisan support to pass any stopgap measures. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) stated in a press conference that if the bill is unable to pass with bipartisan support, he may consider passing funding legislation through the reconciliation process, which requires only a simple majority to pass. With the House departing early for August recess last week, if the Senate is unable to adopt the CR as is, the appropriations process may again be stalled until after Congress returns from August recess.

Stay tuned for COSSA’s continued coverage of the FY 2027 appropriations process.