The federal government appears to be headed for a shutdown on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time. The GOP alone can pass a funding bill in the House, but not the Senate—there, seven Democrats are needed to advance a bill even if every Republican supports it. Normally, getting those votes entails give […]

  As the end of the month nears, Congress appears to have made little progress toward reaching agreement on funding the government when fiscal year 2026 begins on October 1. Republicans support a stopgap bill that would continue current funding levels for most programs through November 21 and provide an additional $88 million to protect […]

  Government funding expires on September 30 and Congress has yet to pass either the appropriations bills or continuing resolution necessary to prevent a government shutdown. The two chambers are far apart on education funding. The Senate bill provides level or near-level funding for most programs, with small potential increases in key areas. By contrast, […]