The House of Representatives voted 370-48 on a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government until December, but not without some backlash over its policy provisions.
With the first week back in Washington, D.C., House Speaker and Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA) fast-tracked the spending bill to be voted on this week, which several members predicted would receive bipartisan support. A CR is a temporary funding measure that keeps the government operating when regular appropriations bills have not been enacted, which Congress has yet to pass for the current fiscal year.
Democrats Highlight Policy Wins
Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) said this CR, which passed the Senate just before the August recess, does more than just fund the government. It also contains several important policy provisions Democrats have been pushing for, he said.
“This critically stops the [Office of Management and Budget] OMB rule from proceeding forward that many of us have been pushing against that allows the broader ability of political appointees to stop grants to our communities,” Rep. Aguilar said.
Rep. Aguilar also said the CR closes several “loopholes” in restricting funding for immigration enforcement agencies, another issue that led Democrats to vote against funding the government earlier this year.
“Given that the objectives that we had were met, I think that there's going to be broad bipartisan support,” Rep. Aguilar said before the vote.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) also said he would vote for the CR, but that using a temporary solution like this stopgap spending bill is a “stupid way to run the government.”
“We have a whole other month left, and the Republicans who control the House, the Senate and White House are basically waving the white flag of surrender and saying we don't know how to govern,” Rep, Lieu said.
Republican Rebels Raise Concerns
Despite some Democrats and Republicans pushing for the CR, some rebels emerged over concerns about the CR. Some lawmakers, one of them being Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), opposed a provision in the Senate version that delayed the deadline for a ban on certain hemp products.
“This bill would delay the ban of dangerous intoxicating Hemp/THC from December 16 instead of its initial prohibition date of November 12 while gas stations and other retailers can sell hemp THC products marketed toward CHILDREN at stores nationwide,” Rep. Roy wrote on X.
On Monday, Rep. Roy sent a letter to Appropriations Chair and Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) and Budget Chair and Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX) highlighting another major issue he has with the spending bill – its failure to prevent taxpayer funds from going to abortion services.
“We cannot spend months working to change these policies through reconciliation and the appropriations process only to perpetuate them through the next must-pass spending bill,” he wrote.
In 2025, the House passed a reconciliation bill that would restrict taxpayer dollars from funding mifepristone, an abortion drug, and Planned Parenthood.
“The CR now before Congress does not renew that protection, allowing federal taxpayer dollars to once again flow to Planned Parenthood,” he said.
Rep. Roy has made similar moves before, including in July, when he criticized congressional Republicans for failing to adequately prioritize border security and argued that funding for immigration enforcement should remain tied to the appropriations process.
According to Rep. Roy, Congress should focus more on appropriations and use its power of the purse to advance policy priorities.
“Congress possesses the power of the purse for a reason, and while a continuing resolution may extend existing funding, voting to extend that funding is itself a choice,” Rep. Roy said.
