The US Senate voted 90 to 6 on Saturday, August 8, to pass a temporary budget resolution funding the federal government through December 11. The measure, known as a continuing resolution, maintains federal funding at current levels to prevent a government shutdown, which halts federal agency operations and places workers on unpaid leave.
Following the vote, senators left Washington for a five-week recess. The legislation now moves to the House of Representatives, which is scheduled to return from its own recess on August 31. House lawmakers must pass their own bill or reconcile differences with the Senate version before existing government funding runs out on September 30.
The publication The Hill reported that the bill is unlikely to run into trouble in the House of Representatives after receiving strong support in the Senate. Both Democrats and Republicans sought to avoid a budget crisis ahead of the midterm congressional elections on November 3, 2026. The upcoming vote will determine which party controls the Senate and the House of Representatives during the final two years of President Donald Trump's term in office.
Previous government shutdowns
Formally, members of Congress had sufficient time before the September 30 deadline to act, but neither party wanted to risk a shutdown close to the election. The most recent US government shutdown occurred at the start of 2026, coming just 11 weeks after the end of an earlier 43-day funding lapse.
That previous shutdown lasted from October 1 to November 14, 2025, making it the longest in US history. The prolonged disruption left hundreds of thousands of federal employees without pay for several weeks.
