Senate Leaders Strike Funding Agreement to Prevent Shutdown

WHO:

AP News - Key senators involved in the funding agreement include Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Sen. Susan Collins, the Republican chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

AP News - Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, are also involved.

WHAT:

AP News - Senators unveiled a short-term spending bill to keep federal agencies funded past the midterm elections and into early December.

AP News - The bill generally funds the federal government at current levels through December 11.

AP News - The House has passed a similar measure, but it did not include various exceptions sought by the White House.

AP News - The bill includes language to ensure the administration cannot transfer funds from other programs to the Border Patrol.

AP News - Trump proposed a 10% cut in non-defense programs overall and called for boosting defense spending by approximately 44%.

WHERE:

AP News - The negotiations and voting are taking place in Washington.

WHEN:

AP News - The Senate is likely to vote on the measure before leaving Washington for its traditional August recess.

AP News - The fiscal year ends on September 30.

WHY:

AP News - The funding extension is needed because Congress has struggled to negotiate and approve the dozen annual appropriations bills before the September 30 deadline.

AP News - Both parties want to avoid another government shutdown, as polling indicated that neither party evaded blame for a previous 43-day shutdown.

HOW:

AP News - Senators are negotiating which exceptions to include in the funding bill.

AP News - The late-summer action on a funding fix is unusual, as Congress typically waits until the final days or hours of a funding deadline to pass short-term funding extensions.

(UPDATED August 2, 2026 23:51 UTC)

Key senators, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, have unveiled a short-term spending bill aimed at keeping federal agencies funded past the midterm elections and into early December. The bill generally maintains current funding levels through December 11 and includes provisions to prevent the administration from reallocating funds to the Border Patrol, while Trump has proposed a significant cut in non-defense programs alongside a boost in defense spending. With the fiscal year ending on September 30, the Senate is expected to vote on this measure before heading into its traditional August recess, as both parties seek to avoid the pitfalls of another government shutdown.