Dem Fold Pre-Election, Government Now Stays Open Until December 11

The federal budget can seem to have been kicked down the road, but at least it got kicked back past the November midterms. A budget fight and a government shutdown wouldn't have helped either side, but it may have hurt Democrats worse; at least, that seems to be their conclusion, because, frankly, the Dems blinked.

House Democrats relented to Republicans in their quest to prevent a government shutdown after spending months raising the possibility ahead of the crucial midterm elections.

Tuesday’s successful vote in the House, the second such attempt since July, means that lawmakers have officially punted funding the government until after the November election and are sending the short-term funding patch, known as a continuing resolution (CR), to President Donald Trump’s desk.

It also marks the end of months of concerns that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., would again shut the government down for political gain as they vie for control of Congress.

Note the way that last sentence is worded. If the government had entered a partial shutdown before the midterms, it would likely have given Republicans a big, beautiful stick to beat Democrats with, since it would patently have been Democrat obstruction forcing the showdown. The House and Senate Minority Leaders (let's hope they retain those titles after November) evidently thought so; they made a calculation, and the conclusion they arrived at was to give in. As the old saying goes, the key to playing chicken is knowing when to flinch. Now, mind you, the big budget fight is yet to come; this is a continuing resolution (CR), which means that the real fight is neither won nor lost, just postponed.

But it's postponed until after the election, which is probably a relief for both sides. 

Not all House and Senate Republicans were happy with the CR.

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., and members of Johnson’s right flank have criticized the CR over the hemp ban delay and grant rule change, a sentiment shared by Republicans in the Senate.

"The Senate did violence to our bill," Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. "Hemp and the grants are the two big ones…and frankly, I just don’t think CRs ought to be on suspension…when you put it on suspension, you’re not asking for my vote, okay, you’re going to get Democrats."

That's all well and good; principles are important. But first you have to win, and that seems to be the calculation that the Republican congressional leadership has made, as well. Holding the House and Senate is critical in this, probably the most consequential midterm election of the century so far. If the GOP loses the House and/or the Senate, then take a look at all the problems worked on, and all the things improved since January of 2025, like illegal immigration, rebuilding our military, the recovery of billions, maybe trillions in fraud - and kiss it all goodbye.

Keeping sane hands on the tiller of the ship of state is a matter of principle too, after all.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) weighed in on the vote on X:

I’m glad that congressional Republicans not only prioritized removing the threat of another dangerous government shutdown, but we did our job weeks before the deadline and with bipartisan support. While funding the government is one of our most basic responsibilities, my hope is…

— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) September 1, 2026

The Senator writes:

I’m glad that congressional Republicans not only prioritized removing the threat of another dangerous government shutdown, but we did our job weeks before the deadline and with bipartisan support. While funding the government is one of our most basic responsibilities, my hope is that this effort proves that government shutdowns serve no one, and we should quickly complete our work on the fiscal year 2027 appropriations process.

That's all very nice, Senator. Now, this should leave you plenty of time to get the SAVE America Act passed.

There has, as yet, been no official statement from President Trump. Stay tuned.

Editor’s Note: The American people overwhelmingly support President Trump’s law and order agenda.

Help us fight back against the Democrats and Soros-backed DAs that refuse to enforce our laws to hold criminals accountable. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.