Senate Approves Short-Term Funding Bill to Avoid Government Shutdown
Senate passes 90-6 vote on short-term funding bill extending federal operations through December 11, 2026, avoiding government shutdown ahead of House action.
What Happened
The U.S. Senate approved a short-term government funding measure in an overnight vote on Saturday, August 7-8, 2026, according to AP News. The legislation funds federal agencies through December 11, 2026, avoiding a government shutdown during the fall campaign season.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer both supported the measure. The vote passed 90-6, with bipartisan backing from senators including Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Patty Murray (D-Wash.).
The article was updated at 3:59 AM EDT on August 8, 2026. Reuters also covered the story, reporting that the U.S. Senate passed a short-term funding bill to avert a federal shutdown before the election.
Why It Matters
This funding measure addresses the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2026. The legislation comes after two historic government shutdowns occurred in the past year, according to context provided by AP News, which has raised bipartisan concern about avoiding further disruptions.
The White House had requested $1 billion for a "Trump-class" battleship, an amount that was rejected as part of the negotiations. Additionally, the legislation includes a one-month delay on a hemp ban and incorporates feedback from nearly 500,000 people and groups who weighed in on grant rules.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune wanted the funding dealt with before senators went home for the next five weeks to focus on their reelection campaigns and other matters. It got caught up with other issues that pushed votes into the night, but the bill had broad bipartisan support. The House will also have to approve the measure when members return from their August recess before it can go to President Donald Trump's desk for his signature.
The bill generally funds the federal government at current levels though Dec. 11, but includes a variety of exceptions that senators negotiated with the White House. Democrats secured language to ensure no money could be transferred to the Border Patrol. They also rejected the White House's request of $1 billion for early work on a new "Trump-class" battleship that the administration announced on Dec. 22.
"The only person who wants these golden ships is Donald Trump so he can slap his name on them," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said.
The bill also includes language delaying a national ban on most intoxicating hemp products. That one-month delay prompted outrage from some Senate Republicans who say that too many such products are falling into the hands of often unsuspecting children. The packaging of the products often relies on bright colors and intentionally mimics popular snack brands to attract consumers.
Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., said that since 2017 there has been nearly a 10-fold increase in cannabis-related emergency room visits by minors in his home state.
"This is a public health crisis that deserves this Senate's immediate attention," Budd said. "Our children should never be the testing ground for an industry willing to exploit a loophole in federal law for profit."
But the hemp industry said the delay buys time for Congress to craft legislation that protects hemp farmers and businesses while also putting in place safeguards to protect children.
Trump himself has called Budd to discuss the issue, though the president did not specifically ask the senator to drop his effort, Budd's spokesman said.
"Senator Budd had a friendly phone call with President Trump discussing the legislative efforts regarding THC," said spokesman Christian McMullen. He said the senator outlined his concerns about "any delay to closing the hemp loophole."
Budd tried to strip the hemp delay from the bill, but the Senate turned aside his effort.
The bill delays a Trump administration rule on grants. Democratic lawmakers, along with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, also got language in the bill that would block, for the duration of the funding patch, new regulations on federal grants. The regulations would require a senior political appointee to review grants before they are awarded to ensure, among other things, that they advance the president's policy priorities. Democrats worry it's an effort to kill grants destined for Democratic-leaning states.
"They are not interested in making our tax dollars work better — they just want them to work for Donald Trump," said Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The White House Office of Management and Budget says its effort is about improving accountability to ensure taxpayer dollars aren't wasted or misused. The issue is sure to be a topic of future negotiations on a full-year spending measure.
But Collins said the vast majority of the nearly 500,000 people and groups weighing in on the rule are opposed to it.
"I don't think in my time that I've been privileged to serve in the Senate that I have ever seen a proposed rule generate that many negative comments," Collins said.
What to Watch
Key developments include whether the House will approve the funding bill during its upcoming session, and how President Trump will respond to the legislation once it reaches his desk. The bipartisan nature of the Senate vote suggests significant political pressure to avoid another shutdown.
The funding extends federal operations through December 11, 2026, providing a temporary reprieve while longer-term budget negotiations continue.
By the numbers
- Vote count: 90-6
- Funding extends federal agencies through: Dec. 11, 2026
- Fiscal year end date: Sept. 30, 2026
- White House requested amount rejected: $1 billion (for "Trump-class" battleship)
- Hemp ban delay period: one month
- Number of people/groups who weighed in on grant rule: nearly 500,000
Source snapshot
