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Last week, Congress officially kicked the FY 2027 funding can down the road. The House overwhelmingly approved the Senate's bipartisan continuing resolution by a 370-48 vote, sending the measure to President Trump, who signed it into law on Wednesday, September 2. The legislation keeps the government funded at current levels through December 11, removing the immediate threat of a government shutdown and giving lawmakers additional time to work through the annual appropriations process. The Senate had previously passed the measure on August 8 by a 90-6 vote.
For appropriators, the CR's enactment creates something Washington rarely enjoys in September: breathing room. Instead of spending the next four weeks lurching toward a shutdown deadline, Congress can turn its attention back to regular-order appropriations. The question is whether lawmakers actually use the runway they just created.
Senate Appropriators - Back in Action?
One development worth watching is the anticipated return of former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. Rep. James Comer said he has been in contact with McConnell’s staff, who indicated that the goal is for the Senator to return when the Senate reconvenes the week of September 14. His return, along with Sen. Darlene Graham's appointment to the Senate Appropriations Committee, would give Chair Collins an opportunity to revive a Senate appropriations process that has largely stalled. That remains the case even if Democrats stay united in their opposition to reporting out bills without a topline spending agreement.
As our readers know, the committee has delayed markups on multiple occasions, leaving the Senate with none of its twelve regular appropriations bills reported out of committee or unveiled publicly. A September markup push would allow the Senate to establish negotiating positions and begin narrowing differences with the House.
Whether Collins can actually move any or all twelve bills remains an open question.
The Real Question: Finish the Work or Punt Again?
The most consequential appropriations question is no longer whether Congress will shut down in October. It is whether Congress intends to complete its FY 2027 appropriations work before the new Congress is seated in January.
On one path, House and Senate negotiators spend the fall resolving differences, clear the remaining bills during a lame-duck session, and enter 2027 with the appropriations process complete.
On the other, lawmakers continue relying on short-term funding while carrying unfinished appropriations bills into the new year. That scenario would extend uncertainty for agencies, contractors, grant recipients, and nearly everyone dependent on federal funding decisions. It would also continue the increasingly familiar pattern of the appropriations process slipping well beyond the start of the fiscal year.
The clock is still ticking. The question is whether Congress uses the time it just bought to make progress towards resolving differences or simply buys itself more time later.
The Approps Drop Take
The shutdown drama has been deferred, not settled.
Attention now shift to Chair Collins and Senate appropriators. If September produces meaningful committee action or posted bills, Congress could position itself for a year-end appropriations finish. If not, lawmakers may find themselves staring at the same question this December that they answered last December:
How much longer can the can be kicked?
That said, when Appropriators get to work, anything can happen. And quickly. The next few weeks should tell us whether Congress is building a runway to a year-end deal or simply making another stop along the way.
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