House Passes Budget Bill to Avert Government Shutdown, Fund Operations Through December

The House of Representatives approved a stopgap budget bill on Tuesday to keep the federal government open through mid-December, averting a partial shutdown that would have begun at midnight Friday. The measure, which passed largely along party lines, maintains current spending levels and provides temporary funding for all federal agencies. Lawmakers said the bill buys time for negotiations on a full-year budget. Without the legislation, hundreds of thousands of federal workers would have faced furloughs, and many government services—from national parks to passport processing—would have been suspended. The bill now moves to the Senate, where leaders from both parties have indicated support. The package does not include controversial policy riders that had stalled earlier talks, reflecting a compromise between Republican fiscal hawks and Democrats seeking to protect domestic programs. However, the temporary nature of the fix means Congress will face another deadline in December, raising the risk of a holiday-season funding crisis. Analysts noted that the bill’s passage removes immediate uncertainty for markets and federal contractors, but long-term budget battles remain unresolved.