Why It Matters

The House passed H.R. 9770, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027, by a vote of 220-205 on Tuesday, July 21, keeping the government funded through December 4 and averting a shutdown while lawmakers negotiate the full fiscal year 2027 budget. Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) introduced the bill on Saturday, July 18, and it cleared the House days later under a closed rule that limited debate and blocked amendments.

The Big Picture

The measure funds most federal programs at flat fiscal year 2026 levels while carving out updated funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Disaster Relief Fund, the Indian Health Service, wildfire suppression activities, and Small Business Administration loan programs. It also extends several expiring authorities, including the National Flood Insurance Program, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, and the Department of Agriculture's livestock price reporting system.

The House Rules Committee reported H. Res. 1438, the rule governing floor consideration, by an 8-4 party-line vote on Monday, July 20. The rule bundled H.R. 9770 with five other measures, setting a closed rule and one hour of debate for the continuing appropriations bill specifically, plus a single motion to recommit. The House adopted the rule itself 214-211 on Tuesday, July 21, with Republicans voting 213-1 in favor and Democrats opposing 210-0, before passing the underlying bill later that day.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Cole framed the measure as a clean stopgap free of poison pills or partisan riders, saying House Republicans "chose responsibility over crisis, leadership over politics, and governing over gamesmanship." The bill also includes customary payments of $174,000 each to the widow of the late Rep. David Scott (D-GA) and the heirs of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

The Bottom Line

With H.R. 9770 headed toward the December 4 deadline, the real test remains: negotiating and passing full-year fiscal year 2027 appropriations bills across a dozen federal departments before the stopgap runs out. The party-line votes on both the rule and final passage suggest that work will be no less contentious than the fight over this short-term fix.

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