Trump signs bill to avert government shutdown before midterm elections

Donald Trump signed a temporary funding bill on Wednesday, removing the immediate threat of a US government shutdown before the November midterm elections. The measure extends current spending through December 11.

The House approved the bill by a 370-48 vote on Tuesday, following Senate passage on August 8. It will keep federal agencies operating after October 1, when existing funding expires with the start of the new fiscal year.

Congress has yet to complete any of the 12 spending bills that finance the full fiscal year through September 30, 2027. The programs cover areas including homeland security, federal law enforcement, energy, housing and defense. The temporary measure delays decisions on those priorities for another 15 weeks.

The agreement avoids a fourth shutdown during a campaign season, after three partial shutdowns since Trump began his second term. Those closures lasted a combined 161 days as Republicans and Democrats fought over health insurance subsidies and limits on federal immigration enforcement.

Neither party wanted another shutdown hanging over candidates seeking reelection. Voters are also dealing with high prices, higher oil and gas costs linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran, and tariffs that have hurt farmers. The bill does not address those pressures or the national debt, which crossed $40 trillion last month. The November 3 election results will shape which party has greater leverage when Congress returns to the spending negotiations.