As congressional leaders try to figure out a path to avert a government shutdown beginning on October 1 — or, in some cases, decide if they want to avoid a shutdown at all — the White House on Tuesday signaled what it wants: a temporary extension of current federal funding through January 2026.
Congress will more than likely need to pass a stopgap spending measure, known as a continuing resolution, to keep federal agencies open beyond September 30, when current federal funding expires. Congressional appropriators continue to work on annual funding measures, but they won’t be finishing the 12 bills before the end of the month, which is also the end of the fiscal year. That means a temporary funding fix will be needed, and lawmakers will have to decide how long it should last.
Some key lawmakers reportedly prefer a short-term stopgap that would extend only into November or perhaps December, allowing time to reach a larger deal on spending, but the White House on Tuesday indicated that it wants a four-month extension. The suggestion was included as part of a 21-page list of “spending anomalies,” or funding adjustments, that the White House wants included in any stopgap bill. The document was obtained by Politico.
Rep. Rosa De Lauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said the White House and budget director Russell Vought made Congress wait for the anomalies request and are trying to undermine a bipartisan process for funding the government as part of an attack on congressional power of the purse.
“Today’s request from President Trump and Russ Vought to kick the can down the road on government funding until January 31 makes it clear the White House wants to be able to continue stealing from American communities for another four months,” De Lauro said in a statement. “Delaying the critical work of funding the government until the end of January is only step one in President Trump and Russ Vought's plan to never fund it at all.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told reporters Tuesday that the January 31 date “was a suggestion” from the White House. “We're still working on the dates and how long it would extend, but that hasn't been finalized yet,” he said.
Top House and Senate appropriators reportedly met Monday night to discuss their path forward, including the possibility of moving ahead with a trio of spending bills passed by the Senate.
“We had a productive conversation about conferencing the first three bills and a bipartisan, short-term CR to allow us time to pass full-year bills, which I believe is critical to protect Democratic priorities and programs that families count on every day,” Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking member on the Senate Appropriations panel, told Punchbowl News. She added that she is looking for House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune to commit to a bipartisan stopgap spending bill.