The leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Aug. 2 released the text of a bipartisan stopgap funding bill that would keep the government open through Dec. 11 and give lawmakers time to negotiate full-year spending bills ahead of the Sept. 30 end of the current fiscal year.
The Continuing Appropriations Act 2027 would extend fiscal year 2026 funding levels and authorities across federal agencies. The stopgap expires Dec. 11 after the Nov. 3 midterm elections, or sooner if Congress passes full-year spending bills before then.
Committee Chair Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) called the measure “straightforward” and said it “avoids any poison pills.”
“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,” she said in a statement on Sunday.
Vice Chair Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said it was “good that we were able to produce a much-improved CR to keep the government funded and avert a shutdown that no one wants.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the bill “a responsible path forward that allows continued bipartisan negotiations.”
Grants Rule Blocked
One provision drew claims of credit from both parties. The bill would prohibit the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from issuing or finalizing its proposed Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance, published in the Federal Register on May 29, and states that if the rule is finalized before the bill’s enactment, it “shall not have force or take effect” through Dec. 11.The OMB said in their proposal that its revisions “would improve transparency, accountability, and oversight for Federal awards across the Federal Government.”
Collins said she advocated for significant changes to the proposed rule in a July 6 letter to OMB, “citing its potential to politicize grants and harm small, rural communities, families, and biomedical research.”
Defense Provisions
The stopgap bill would prohibit the Pentagon from starting new programs or increasing production rates but carve out exceptions.It would allow the Navy to cover prior-year cost increases on 20 shipbuilding line items for vessels already under construction, including up to $566.5 million for the Columbia-class submarine program, $561.1 million for the Virginia-class submarine program, $379.2 million for carrier refueling overhauls, and $324 million for the carrier replacement program.
The committee’s summary describes the provision as authority “to complete ships currently under construction.”
The bill would also permit up to $2.85 billion for national security systems, which the committee summary says the administration sought.
Program Adjustments
The bill would allow spending above the default rate where needed to maintain specific programs, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program serving low-income seniors, FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, wildfire suppression, and the Essential Air Service program.It would continue the freeze on pay rises for members of Congress and provide $174,000 in death gratuities to the families of two members who died in office: Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
Murray said Republicans rejected Democratic senators’ efforts to extend infrastructure funding that expires on Oct. 1.
Separate divisions of the bill would extend expiring authorizations through Dec. 11, including the National Flood Insurance Program, federal surface transportation programs, and dozens of Department of Veterans Affairs health, housing, and benefits authorities.