WASHINGTON (July 22, 2026) – The U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass a short-term government funding bill that would keep federal agencies operating through early December, avoiding the threat of a shutdown ahead of the midterm elections. The legislation now moves to the Senate, where it will need bipartisan support to advance. Republican leaders say the measure is meant to provide funding certainty through the election season, while Democrats argue they were largely left out of the drafting process and have raised concerns about several policy provisions included in the bill.
Faculty experts at George Washington University are available to offer insight and analysis on these developments. To schedule an interview with an expert, please contact Skyler Sales at skylers
gwu [dot] edu (skylers[at]gwu[dot]edu).
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is a longtime public servant and higher education leader who has extensive experience tackling critical political and social issues throughout her career. She is the executive director of the GW Graduate School of Political Management.
Matt Dallek is a professor at the George Washington University School of Political Management. Professor Dallek is a political historian whose intellectual interests include the intersection of social crises and political transformation, the evolution of the modern conservative movement, and liberalism and its critics.
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