Skip to content
Ars Technica·

💰House Passes Stopgap Measure to Fund Government Through December

Government Shutdown Averted Before Midterms

TL;DR

The House passed a stopgap measure to fund the US government through early December, avoiding a shutdown before the midterm elections. The bill blocks OMB from implementing a controversial rule that would give political appointees full control over scientific funding.

The House of Representatives passed a stopgap measure to fund the US government through early December, averting an immediate government shutdown. This bill, which follows a similar version passed by the Senate, is expected to be signed by the President to prevent a shutdown before the midterm elections. The measure includes a provision that blocks the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from implementing a proposed rule that would give political appointees full control over what science is funded and allow them to cancel any grant at any time. This rule has been widely criticized by scientific and health-focused organizations as catastrophic for science. The bill passed the Senate by a 90-6 margin and the House by a 370-48 margin, suggesting similar language could be inserted into future budget deals without triggering opposition. The stopgap measure expires on December 11, but the government funding continues through early December.

House Passes Stopgap Measure to Fund Government Through December — Ars Technica

Key Points

1

The House passed a stopgap measure to fund the US government through early December, avoiding a shutdown before the midterm elections on November 8.

2

The bill passed the Senate by a 90-6 margin and the House by a 370-48 margin, indicating broad bipartisan support.

3

The measure blocks the OMB from implementing a proposed rule that would give political appointees full control over scientific funding, a move widely criticized by scientific organizations.

4

The stopgap measure expires on December 11, but the government funding continues through early December, preventing immediate disruption.

5

The bill's passage ensures continuity for federal agencies and scientific research, avoiding a shutdown that could have significant economic and scientific impacts.

Why It Matters

The passage of this stopgap measure ensures that federal agencies and scientific research continue uninterrupted through early December, avoiding a shutdown that could have significant economic and scientific impacts. The inclusion of language blocking the OMB from implementing a controversial rule that would give political appointees full control over scientific funding is a major win for the scientific community. This provision prevents the cancellation of grants and ensures that science funding remains stable, crucial for ongoing research and development.

government fundingstopgap measureOMBscientific fundingmidterm elections

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does this matter?

The passage of this stopgap measure ensures that federal agencies and scientific research continue uninterrupted through early December, avoiding a shutdown that could have significant economic and scientific impacts. The inclusion of language blocking the OMB from implementing a controversial rule that would give political appointees full control over scientific funding is a major win for the scientific community. This provision prevents the cancellation of grants and ensures that science funding remains stable, crucial for ongoing research and development.

What happened?

The House passed a stopgap measure to fund the US government through early December, avoiding a shutdown before the midterm elections. The bill blocks OMB from implementing a controversial rule that would give political appointees full control over scientific funding.

Comments

Subscribe to join the conversation...

Be the first to comment

Enjoyed this article?

Get it daily. 7am. Free. Reads in 5 minutes.

Join 3,455 builders reading daily.

Also get