With just days remaining before a looming government shutdown, Congressional leaders in Washington are scrambling to pass a temporary funding measure that would keep federal agencies running through late November. The proposed stopgap bill, introduced by House Republican leaders on September 16, 2025, has set off a political tug-of-war that touches on defense priorities, lawmaker security, and the ever-contentious debate over health care funding.
At the center of the debate is a continuing resolution (CR) that would extend government funding through November 21, 2025. According to Breaking Defense, this draft legislation is largely a "clean" CR, meaning it maintains spending at previous fiscal year levels and avoids introducing sweeping new programs or major funding boosts. The CR is designed to buy lawmakers time to negotiate full-year appropriations bills, but it comes with its own set of controversies and exceptions.
One notable inclusion in the bill is funding for the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail program. As reported by Aerospace Daily & Defense Report, the GOP-led House added specific support for the E-7A, a sophisticated airborne early warning and control aircraft. The bill also grants the Pentagon greater spending flexibility for the E-7 Wedgetail prototype program and the Virginia-class submarine, allowing for an increased "rate of operations"—a rare anomaly in an otherwise status-quo funding package.
But not all defense priorities made the cut. The White House had pressed for an additional $3.9 billion to accelerate work on the Columbia-class submarine, a critical component of the U.S. nuclear deterrent. That request was left out of the CR, despite being labeled a top priority by administration officials. As Inside Defense noted last week, the omission reflects ongoing disagreements between the White House and Congressional appropriators over which projects deserve urgent treatment during the stopgap period.
In a move to ensure continuity in defense manufacturing and supply chains, the CR also includes an extension of the Defense Production Act. This authority, set to expire at the end of September, will now remain in force until at least November 21, giving lawmakers more time to negotiate a longer-term extension or amend the current legislation as needed.
However, the CR is not without its restrictions. As is typical for such measures, it forbids the Defense Department from initiating new programs or entering into multiyear contracts using the funds provided. This limitation, while standard, has drawn criticism from defense officials and lawmakers alike, who argue that it hampers long-term planning and readiness.
"We’re still open and doing business as the Department of Defense … [but] it’s damaging to the day-to-day operations of the department," said Rep. Ken Calvert, chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, in an interview with Breaking Defense. He described the full-year CR as "destructive" for the Pentagon, emphasizing that this marks the first time Congress has failed to pass a defense budget on time in recent memory. "It’s not why people send members of Congress to do this job, to have continuing resolutions. It’s to have us work this out and to fund the United States government."
Beyond defense, the CR has become a flashpoint in the ongoing battle over health care funding. House Democrats have made it clear they will not support any new budgetary measures unless they include provisions to extend tax credits for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). "[Republicans] control the House, the Senate and the White House. … It is on them to put a plan that funds government to the table," Rep. Pete Aguilar, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said during a press conference, as reported by Breaking Defense. Aguilar and other Democrats argue that support for the bill should be contingent on bipartisan cooperation, particularly around health care priorities.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has pushed back, insisting that the issue of extending Obamacare subsidies is "a December policy issue, not a September funding issue" and should not be part of the current CR conversation. Johnson aims to pass the bill through the House by September 19, but with only six legislative days left before funding expires on October 1, the clock is ticking. The bill faces potential hurdles not just from Democrats, but also from hardline fiscal conservatives wary of another short-term funding patch.
The Senate presents its own set of challenges. With Republicans holding a slim 53-vote majority, they will need at least seven Democrats to reach the 60 votes required for passage. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has signaled his willingness to keep lawmakers in Washington over the weekend for a procedural vote, aiming for a final decision when the Senate reconvenes on September 29 after a brief recess.
Security concerns have also taken center stage in this round of budget negotiations. In the wake of the tragic shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on September 10, House Republicans are considering a $30 million allocation to bolster protection for federal lawmakers. As reported by UPI and Politico, this funding would allow the Capitol Police to reimburse local law enforcement for providing security in members' home districts—a response to a rise in politically motivated threats and violence targeting elected officials.
"It's basically extra support for being able to hire security people that you can bring around with you," House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., told CNN. The proposal follows a similar increase in July, which about 60 House Democrats and 20 Republicans utilized, according to House Speaker Johnson. If approved, the new funds would be in addition to $58 million requested by the White House to protect the executive and judicial branches.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, himself a survivor of a politically motivated shooting in 2017, underscored the urgency of the measure. Many lawmakers from both parties have voiced concerns that more needs to be done to ensure their safety, especially amid a climate of heightened political tension.
Yet, as with other aspects of the CR, the security funding has become entangled in broader partisan disputes. House Democrats have reiterated their stance that no new spending bills will pass without action on ACA tax credits, raising the specter of a standoff that could push the government to the brink of a shutdown.
As the deadline approaches, the stakes for lawmakers, the Pentagon, and the nation as a whole could hardly be higher. With defense priorities, lawmaker safety, and health care all on the table, the coming days in Congress promise to be anything but routine. Whether the House and Senate can bridge their differences in time remains to be seen—but for now, the nation watches and waits.
