UPDATE: The House of Representatives passed the budget resolution on Wednesday.
House Republican leadership is hoping to send a budget resolution to the Senate on Wednesday night, as another spending battle in Congress is on the horizon.
The budget resolution is one of the key steps in getting “Reconciliation 3.0” passed, which Republicans want to include significant additional funding for the Pentagon and certain elements of the “SAVE America Act,” a federal elections proposal backed by President Donald Trump.
“Democrats are REFUSING to fund our military,” Speaker Mike Johnson posted to X on Monday. “The SAVE and Protect America Act provides our men and women in uniform with the resources they need to fight, win, and return home safely.”
Democrats are REFUSING to fund our military.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) July 20, 2026
The SAVE and Protect America Act provides our men and women in uniform with the resources they need to fight, win, and return home safely. pic.twitter.com/THR7mb5k80
House NOW debating the GOP 2027 budget resolution, the first step for reconciliation 3.0 to provide $95B for Iran war costs, farm aid and election security. @cspan
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) July 22, 2026
A reconciliation bill only needs a simple majority to get the Senate’s approval, rather than the usual two-thirds needed for legislation to get out of the chamber.
As that process is underway, there’s also a push to get a continuing resolution passed in Congress to avoid a government shutdown at the end of September.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has floated possibly pausing the budget resolution push as a backup plan if Democrats refuse to fund the federal government. Doing so could allow other funding proposals to be thrown into “Reconciliation 3.0” if needed, according to Punchbowl News.
THUNE is threatening to use reconciliation to fund the government if necessary
— Laura Weiss (@LauraEWeiss16) July 21, 2026
Thune says Senate will vote on a CR before August recess
And says he will hold House’s budget resolution until funding is settled
“House and Senate Rs are on the same page on govt funding – on length, desire for clean CR, & motivation to complete our work before the deadline,” Thune spokesperson Ryan Wrasse posted to X on Wednesday, disagreeing with reports that Republican leaders are split on the approach. “It’s simply a matter of adding the anomalies that the WH has requested. Bipartisan effort underway to accomplish all of these things.”
House and Senate Rs are on the same page on govt funding – on length, desire for clean CR, & motivation to complete our work before the deadline. It’s simply a matter of adding the anomalies that the WH has requested. Bipartisan effort underway to accomplish all of these things. https://t.co/vcHQNZ7x76
— Ryan Wrasse (@RWrasse) July 22, 2026
Thune confirmed on Wednesday that he’s “asked Appropriations Chair Collins to draft a bipartisan and clean continuing resolution to fund the government until after the November election.”
Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson slammed Democrats for their opposition to a Republican-backed continuing resolution to keep the government open through Dec. 4.
“House Republicans today took the responsible step of passing a clean, short-term continuing resolution to fund our government through the November elections,” he wrote Tuesday night. “Sadly, and predictably, 204 House Democrats voted against this measure.”
“While time remains until the end of the fiscal year, Republicans are under no illusions about the Democrat Party’s intentions heading into a consequential midterm election,” the speaker continued.
House Republicans today took the responsible step of passing a clean, short-term continuing resolution to fund our government through the November elections. Sadly, and predictably, 204 House Democrats voted against this measure. Given that Democrats have already forced the two…
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) July 22, 2026
House Democratic leaders, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, said in a joint statement on Tuesday night that the CR “gives the Trump administration even more power over the federal budget and fails to block funding for Donald Trump’s violent mass deportation machine.”
“Their my-way-or-the-highway approach has consistently failed to address the high cost of living or meet the needs of the American people,” the Democrats stated in their “no” vote explanation. “This continuing resolution is a premature and desperate attempt by Republicans to abdicate their responsibility to govern while there are still several months left to negotiate a bipartisan agreement.”