Airport Alert: House Passes Measure to Fund Government Through December 4

July 21, 2026

In an unusual move with some 10 weeks remaining before the beginning of the fiscal year on October 1, House Republican leaders have successfully passed a “clean” continuing resolution (CR) that would provide federal funding through December 4 – a month beyond the November mid-term elections. The vote on the temporary funding bill – which is free from extraneous provisions and would simply extend current funding from October 1 through December 4 – was 220 to 205.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) indicated today that he intends to schedule a vote on the CR before the Senate adjourns for the August recess early next month. Notably, Senator Thune also indicated that he intends to consider adding a package of funding “anomalies” that the White House has requested be included along with the funding extension. The addition of those items could complicate passage in the Senate, where at least a handful of Democratic votes are required because of that chamber’s 60-vote threshold. Bipartisan discussions are reportedly underway, but it is difficult to predict at this point if an agreement can be reached before the August break.

In addition to the CR, Congress is working to tackle the annual defense authorization bill, a proposed supplemental funding bill to provide funding for Iran and disaster relief, and a possible third budget reconciliation bill. President Trump continues to loom over the discussions on all these measures with his insistence on passing an election reform bill known as the SAVE America Act.

While it is not surprising that a CR is necessary given the current state of the appropriations process in both the House and Senate, the move to approve a CR now prior to the August break and with lawmakers scheduled to be in session for several weeks in September is unusual. As a reminder, the House has approved all 12 fiscal year 2027 annual funding bills through the Appropriations Committee but has managed to move only three of those measures through the full House. In the Senate, not a single FY27 spending bill has been released or considered at the committee level or by the full chamber.

During consideration of the CR today, DOT/FAA funding subcommittee Chair Steve Womack (R-AR) noted the impact of previous shutdowns on the aviation system. He and others urged adoption of the temporary funding measure to keep the government open and operational beyond November’s mid-term elections.

Stay tuned for further updates on potential Senate action and other relevant developments.