Senate lawmakers release a Continuing Resolution to fund the government until October 31
Author
Eryn Hurley
Emma Conover
Upcoming Events
Related News
Key Takeaways
On September 17, Senate lawmakers released Continuing Appropriations and Extensions and Other Matters Act, 2026, a one-month stopgap funding bill to keep the government funded through October 31. This Continuing Resolution (CR), led by Democrats in the Senate, is proposed as an alternative to the House Republican-led CR released on September 16.
For more information on the status specific FY 2026 spending bills and county funding priorities, access NACo’s FY 2026 Appropriations Tracker.
Access the 2026 Appropriations Tracker Here
What’s in the Senate CR?
The Senate CR includes extended federal funding through October 31, with additional funding for specific programs:
- $30 million for congressional lawmaker security, and $58 million for Supreme Court and executive branch security. These are the same figures as in proposed House CR.
- Extension of Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies, which are set to expire on December 31, 2025
The CR also includes a measure to limit future recessions, the act by which Congress can roll back funds previously approved by Congress with a simple majority.
What’s next?
Government funding will expire on September 30, and lawmakers are set to adjourn on September 26. In order for any CR to pass, it will need 60 votes in the Senate, which will require bipartisan support.
How does this impact counties?
As key intergovernmental partners, we urge Congress and the administration to commit to reaching bipartisan agreements on federal appropriations each year by October 1, and to reach a long-term funding agreement for FY 2026 as soon as possible to ensure certainty for county governments.
Advocacy
House passes clean Continuing Resolution to fund the government through November 21
On September 16, the U.S. House passed the text of the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 to extend government funding at current levels through November 21.
Related News
The quiet shift from courthouse to statehouse
NACo CEO Matt Chase writes: “Taxation policy and service delivery decisions are being moved, state by state, from the courthouse to the statehouse. The accountability lands on us. The authority to meet it increasingly doesn’t.”
Census Bureau proposes permanent changes to the 2030 Decennial Census
On September 10, the U.S Census Bureau published a proposed rule to the 2030 Decennial Census that would create two new parts of the 15 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) that among other changes would a) define “usual residence” that excludes foreign persons previously counted that are not U.S. citizens or lawful residents, and b) would eliminate any questions about race, ethnicity and sexual orientation from the census questionnaire used to enumerate the population. The proposed ruling outlines only 30 days for public comments, which are due on October 13.
Supreme Court allows new SAVE citizenship voter verification system to proceed
On Sept. 25, the U.S. Supreme Court granted an emergency appeal from the White House to pause a lower court’s ruling blocking its use of a new SAVE system ahead of the midterms.