Lawmakers eye bipartisan funding stopgap as appropriations bills make minimal headway

(The Center Square) – With 26 days until the federal government runs out of money, top appropriators have narrowed in on their preferred funding gameplan: push the equivalent of the Senate’s three-bill minibus through the House, then let a Continuing Resolution temporarily cover the rest.

Approving a CR would mark the fourth time in a row that U.S. lawmakers have punted on funding the government properly, having passed three CRs in fiscal year 2025 to keep government funding essentially on cruise control. Congress is supposed to craft and pass 12 appropriations bills on an annual basis, providing updated funding for federal agencies to spend on programs.

So far, however, not a single fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill has passed both the House and Senate. As of Thursday, three partisan