Congress Passes Stopgap Funding Bill After Tense Weekend Showdown; House Approves Measure in Narrow 222-209 Vote
Nov 14, 2025
Senate breaks procedural blockade on 60-40 vote to advance bill; measures supporting veterans and commemorating historic milestones also pass
Final Passage After a Contentious Week
WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives gave its final approval Wednesday to a critical government funding bill, concluding a tense, multi-day legislative battle that required rare weekend sessions in the Senate.1
Lawmakers voted 222 yeas to 209 nays to concur with the Senate's version of H.R. 5371, the "Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026".1 The measure, which funds the government into the next fiscal year, now heads to the president's desk to be signed into law.
The final House vote on November 12 was the capstone to a week of high-stakes procedural warfare, particularly in the Senate.1 There, a bipartisan coalition had to navigate a series of filibuster-breaking votes to overcome entrenched opposition to the bill, which also contains funding for agriculture, legislative branch operations, and military construction, as well as extensions for various programs.1
The Final Hurdle: A Divided House Concurs
While the final passage vote in the House was decisive, it belied the deep divisions within the chamber over the Senate's compromise. The true test of the majority's control came just moments before, on a key procedural motion to end debate and force a final vote.
That measure, known as ordering the "previous question," was approved by a razor-thin margin of 216 yeas to 213 nays (Roll No. 283).1 This vote, which essentially allows a bill to proceed to a final vote, is often used as a proxy to gauge support or opposition within the majority party. The near-failure of this procedural step highlighted the intense internal dissent chamber leadership faced in bringing the Senate's bill to the floor.
The tight margin was made even more significant by the day's other events. Earlier on Wednesday, the House administered the Oath of Office to Representative-elect Adelita S. Grijalva of Arizona, bringing the "whole number of the House" to 433 members.1 With 433 members present, a majority is 217. The 216-213 vote on the procedural motion indicates that leadership had virtually no votes to spare, suggesting a rebellion from one of its ideological wings almost derailed the bill.
Once that procedural hurdle was cleared, the chamber proceeded to the rule governing the bill's consideration (H. Res. 873), which passed 213-209, and then to the final vote on the bill itself. The final 222-209 tally (Roll No. 284) indicates that once the vote was forced, a different coalition—likely including some members who voted against the procedure—ultimately voted to pass the funding bill and avert a shutdown.1
Inside the Senate's Weekend Procedural Gauntlet
The stage for the House's final vote was set by a dramatic, multi-day procedural gauntlet in the Senate, which began with a rare Saturday session on November 8.1 On that day, the chamber was not yet debating the bill itself, but rather a preliminary "motion to proceed" to it—the first step in bringing legislation to the floor.1
The impasse broke late on Sunday, November 9, following a marathon session that lasted from 1:30 p.m. until 11:15 p.m..1 In a critical breakthrough, the Senate took a procedural vote (Vote No. 610) and agreed, by 60 yeas to 40 nays, to "close further debate" on the motion to proceed.1
This 60-40 vote is known as "invoking cloture" and is the mechanism required by Senate rules to break a filibuster, which requires a three-fifths majority of the chamber. This same procedural vote had failed on the bill back in October, making its success on Sunday the first tangible sign that a fragile, bipartisan compromise had been reached to allow the legislative process to move forward.1
With the filibuster on the initial motion broken, the Senate reconvened on Monday, November 10, for a day defined by a remarkable and rigid voting pattern. In a series of identical 60-40 votes, the chamber methodically advanced the legislation 1:
- First, the Senate formally agreed to the motion to proceed (Vote No. 611) by 60-40, officially beginning consideration of the bill.1
- Next, senators adopted a key substitute amendment (Amendment No. 3937), by 60-40 (Vote No. 616). This amendment, offered by Senator Thune for Senator Collins, replaced the bill's original text with the newly negotiated compromise.1
- Finally, after breaking a filibuster on the bill itself, the Senate passed the amended bill by 60 yeas to 40 nays (Vote No. 618), sending it to the House.1
The identical 60-40 tallies across four key votes (including the cloture votes) are the legislative fingerprint of a specific, pre-negotiated agreement. This pattern reveals that a solid bloc of 40 senators remained opposed to the compromise, while a "governing coalition" of exactly 60 senators—composed of members from both parties—agreed to vote in lockstep for every procedural motion necessary to overcome the opposition and pass the bill.
The only significant deviation from this pattern was an amendment (No. 3941) seeking to change the definition of hemp. It was overwhelmingly "tabled," or killed, by a 76-24 vote (Vote No. 614), demonstrating how solid the 60-vote coalition was on the underlying bill.1
The Bill's Contentious Path to Passage
The five key votes that moved the government funding bill (H.R. 5371) from a procedural stalemate in the Senate to final passage in the House illustrate the different dynamics in each chamber.
| Chamber & Date | The Hurdle | Vote Tally (Roll Call No.) |
|---|---|---|
| Senate: Nov. 9 | Breaking the Filibuster on Debate: Vote to end debate on the "motion to proceed" (Cloture). | 60-40 (Vote No. 610) |
| Senate: Nov. 10 | Adopting the Compromise: Vote to adopt the substitute amendment (the new bill text). | 60-40 (Vote No. 616) |
| Senate: Nov. 10 | Final Senate Passage: Vote to pass the bill as amended. | 60-40 (Vote No. 618) |
| House: Nov. 12 | Allowing the Final Vote: Vote to end debate and force a final vote (Previous Question). | 216-213 (Roll No. 283) |
| House: Nov. 12 | Final Congressional Passage: Vote to concur with the Senate's version of the bill. | 222-209 (Roll No. 284) |
Bipartisan Action: Veterans, Commemorations, and Holiday Charity
While the funding bill dominated headlines with its 60-40 partisan split, the Senate also demonstrated its capacity for broad, bipartisan agreement on other issues, even in the midst of the weekend fight.
On Sunday, as the procedural battle over H.R. 5371 raged, the Senate unanimously passed two bills to support veterans 1:
- S. 2392, the "Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act": This bill increases, effective December 1, 2025, the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and for the survivors of certain disabled veterans.1
- S. 778, the "Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms Act": This measure requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide dedicated, hygienic lactation spaces in each of its medical centers.1
The Senate also passed a series of commemorative resolutions throughout the week, honoring historical milestones and notable figures 1:
- S. Res. 124: Recognized the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps. An amendment (No. 3936) was also agreed to, adding the liberation of Helmand Province to the list of the Marines' historic battles.1
- S. Res. 494: Observed the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior, remembering the 29 lives lost in the storm.1
- S. Res. 495: Recognized the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and honored the U.S. veterans who served in the conflict.1
- S. Res. 498: Honored the legacy of Dr. Jane Goodall as an ethologist, conservationist, and activist.1
- S. Res. 496: Expressed support for designating November 8, 2025, as "National First-Generation College Celebration Day".1
In a routine measure, the Senate also passed S. Res. 497, permitting the collection of clothing, toys, and food for charitable purposes in Senate buildings during the holiday season.1
A New Member, a Farewell, and a Look Ahead
The week's business in the House was not limited to the funding bill. On Wednesday, November 12, Representative-elect Adelita S. Grijalva of Arizona’s Seventh Congressional District was administered the Oath of Office by the Speaker.1 Her swearing-in follows a special election held on September 23, 2025.1 As noted, her arrival brought the total number of House members to 433, highlighting the razor-thin margin on the 216-213 procedural vote.1
On a somber note, the House also passed H. Res. 874, a resolution "expressing the profound sorrow of the House of Representatives on the death of the Honorable Richard B. Cheney".1 The chamber adjourned on Wednesday "as a further mark of respect to the memory" of the late former Vice President and representative.1
Following the conclusion of the funding battle, both chambers wound down their week. On Thursday, November 13, the House and Senate both met for brief "pro forma" sessions—short, minutes-long meetings that conduct no official business—signaling a pause in legislative action after the week's intense activity.1
The Senate, however, has already begun lining up its next items of business. Before adjourning on Monday, motions were filed to begin consideration of two executive nominations: Ho Nieh, of Alabama, to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Donald Korb, of Ohio, to be Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service.1 This signals that when senators return for full business, the chamber will pivot from its legislative fights to its executive calendar of confirming presidential appointments.
