UNITED STATES – MAY 21: Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas, left) and House Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., along with members of the House Freedom Caucus, speak to reporters about the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” settlement at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
Bill Clark | Cq-roll Call Inc. | Getty Images
The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on Tuesday on a stopgap spending measure to avert a government shutdown this fall ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, but Republican hardliners say it will complicate matters.
The bill, passed in August before the Senate went into summer recess, would continue funding the government through Dec. 11. If not passed, federal funding would expire on September 30, the end of the federal fiscal year. It’s a prospect neither party wants, as lawmakers want to quickly return to their districts and continue campaigning in the lead-up to the midterm elections.
House leaders plan to consider the bill using a process called “suspension of rules,” which allows consent measures to circumvent certain procedural hurdles but requires a two-thirds vote. That means Democratic votes will be needed in the narrowly divided chamber and broad bipartisan support is expected.
But members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus have raised a series of concerns about both the bill and the process. They are threatening to preserve what House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) had hoped would quickly pass a bill that would extend current government funding levels.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) sent a letter Monday to House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and House Budget Chair Jody Arrington (R-Texas) outlining concerns about stopgap spending measures, including funding for family planning and a ban on hemp products containing THC, the psychoactive chemical found in marijuana.
“I have serious concerns about simply prolonging the status quo. Lawmakers should be clear about what passing this bill means. Congress will once again be actively funding the policies we have been fighting to change for months,” Roy wrote.
And Representative Andy Harris (R-Md.), chairman of the Freedom Caucus, told Punchbowl News that he plans to vote to block the rest of the Republican agenda this week because of his opposition to the spending bill.
Their opposition could complicate the vote, but with support from Democrats, Mr. Johnson is likely to be able to pass the funding bill despite defections from the Republican Party.
And as Republicans strive to overcome President Donald Trump’s low approval ratings and maintain slim majorities in the House and Senate, most members will be eager to return to their districts this election season. Polls show that Democrats are generally expected to win a majority in the House of Representatives, while Republicans are favored in the Senate.
