HR 5371 Passed in House and Failed in Senate – FY 2025 CR

Early yesterday, the House took up HR 5371, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026. After one-hour of debate, the House voted to pass HR 5371 by a near party-line vote of 217 to 212. Shortly thereafter, and before the Senate acted on the bill, the House adjourned, going to a ‘District Work Period’ next week and returning to Washington on September 29^th, 2025.

Yesterday afternoon, with House members heading to the airports and trains, the Senate first took up S 2882, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions and Other Matters Act, 2026, introduced by Sen Murray, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. That bill would have provided continuing spending authorization based upon 2025 spending levels through October 31^st, 2025. The other (than date) major changes were the healthcare provisions that the Democrats have been insisting on over the last month or so. This alternate CR failed by a vote of 44 to 48.

Then the Senate took up HR 5371. That bill also failed, this time by a vote of 47 to 45. Both bills would have required 60 votes to pass by a unanimous consent agreement reached earlier in the week.

And the Senate also left Washington yesterday, again, not intending to return until September 29^th. Interestingly, before they left Senators Thune and Schumer set both bills up for a potential reconsideration when the Senate returns to Washington. There is a remote chance that some sort of change could be made to one of the two that could pass in both the Senate and subsequently in the House before midnight on Tuesday.

More likely, we are going to see the federal government shutdown for some length of time in October.

Review - Bills Introduced – 9-18-25

With both the House and Senate in session and preparing to leave Washington for a week, there were 151 bills introduced. Three of those bills will receive additional coverage in this blog:

HR 5450 Making continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes. DeLauro, Rosa L. [Rep.-D-CT-3]

S 2866 A bill to amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program providing for the establishment of Agriculture Cybersecurity Centers, and for other purposes. Budd, Ted [Sen.-R-NC]

S 2882 A bill making continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes. Murray, Patty [Sen.-D-WA] 

Space Geek Legislation

I would like to mention one bill under my limited Space Geek coverage in this blog:

S 2888 A bill to amend chapter 511 of title 51, United States Code, to modify the authority for space transportation infrastructure modernization grants, and for other purposes. Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO]

 

For more information on these bills, including legislative history for similar bills in the 118th, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/bills-introduced-9-18-25 - subscription required.