Congress's 2026 funding deal to avoid a shutdown before the midterms

Gone quiet · last story Sep 3

What this arc covers

The summer 2026 effort to fund the government through the midterm elections: the House's early stopgap bill in July, the Senate leaders' deal in August and the Republican fight over hemp products that held it up, the Senate's passage, and the House vote in September that sent the funding bill to Trump.

Earliest story we hold Jul 20, 2026 · 10 stories · 65 independent sources (counted once each) · 45 days

Part ofUnited States House of RepresentativesDonald TrumpUnited States SenateMinnesotaUnited States Congress

Part of Government shutdowns

  1. The 2025 government shutdown, the longest in US historyAug 31 – Nov 21, 2025
  2. The 2026 Homeland Security shutdown over Democrats' ICE demandsJan 25 – Apr 28, 2026
  3. Congress's 2026 funding deal to avoid a shutdown before the midtermsThis arcJul 20 – Sep 3, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Sep 3Trump signs stopgap funding bill into law, temporarily avoiding shutdown7 articles · 2 independent sources
1 left, 1 center, 0 right
Sep 1– 3House sends government funding bill to Trump to avert shutdown ahead of midterms68 articles · 49 independent sources
9 left, 13 center, 4 right
Aug 31– Sep 1House lawmakers return to Washington with a stopgap funding bill atop the list of priorities14 articles · 11 independent sources
0 left, 2 center, 0 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. Jul 20 – 24House passes temporary government funding bill months early to avoid election season shutdown89 articles · 37 independent sources
  2. Aug 2 – 4Senate leaders reach funding deal to avoid shutdown during campaign season79 articles · 26 independent sources
    1. Aug 2Senate to vote on stopgap bill to keep government open through Dec. 11
    2. Aug 3Senate overwhelmingly advances stopgap funding bill aimed at preventing shutdown
    3. Aug 4Only right-leaning coverage:Senate Takes Its First Procedural Step Towards Potentially Averting Another Government Shutdown
  3. Aug 8 – 9Senate approves funding bill to avoid shutdown before election97 articles · 48 independent sources
  4. Aug 31 – Sep 1House lawmakers return to Washington with a stopgap funding bill atop the list of priorities14 articles · 11 independent sources
  5. Sep 1 – 3House sends government funding bill to Trump to avert shutdown ahead of midterms68 articles · 49 independent sources
    1. Sep 1Only center coverage:House passes short-term funding bill to avoid a shutdown before the election
    2. Sep 1US House passes funding bill to avert government shutdown ahead of midterms
    3. Sep 3Only center coverage:Trump signs stopgap funding bill into law, temporarily avoiding shutdown

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

Jul 20Jul 27Aug 3Aug 17Aug 24Aug 31

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Jul 20, 202625788
Jul 27, 202603278
Aug 3, 20266169138
Aug 24, 20260011
Aug 31, 202612184102

25% left · 51% center · 24% right of 65 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 10 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. July 2026

    Jul 20– 24House passes temporary government funding bill months early to avoid election season shutdown89 articles · 37 independent sources
    2 left, 5 center, 7 right
  2. Jul 31Senate GOP close to cutting deal to avoid shutdown14 articles · 7 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 1 right

  3. August 2026

    Aug 2– 4Senate leaders reach funding deal to avoid shutdown during campaign season79 articles · 26 independent sources
    0 left, 6 center, 4 right
  4. Aug 3– 4US Senate throws Minnesota’s hemp-based THC industry a lifeline11 articles · 11 independent sources
    1 left, 0 center, 1 right
  5. Aug 4– 7Surprise GOP hemp fight drags funding bill16 articles · 10 independent sources
    1 left, 3 center, 1 right
  6. Aug 8– 9Senate approves funding bill to avoid shutdown before election97 articles · 48 independent sources
    4 left, 10 center, 5 right
  7. Aug 30– Sep 3Hemp ban set to be delayed a month after House passes funding bill17 articles · 9 independent sources
    2 left, 3 center, 1 right
  8. Aug 31– Sep 1House lawmakers return to Washington with a stopgap funding bill atop the list of priorities14 articles · 11 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 0 right

  9. September 2026

    Sep 1– 3House sends government funding bill to Trump to avert shutdown ahead of midterms68 articles · 49 independent sources
    9 left, 13 center, 4 right
  10. Sep 3Trump signs stopgap funding bill into law, temporarily avoiding shutdown7 articles · 2 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 0 right