On Wednesday night, Democrats released the text of their own stopgap spending measure aimed at keeping the government funded past the September 30 deadline. The move comes just days after Republicans introduced a separate continuing resolution.
The Democratic proposal would extend funding through October 31—three weeks shorter than the Republican plan, which runs through November 21. It also includes several Democratic priorities that were omitted from the GOP bill, such as:
- An extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies set to expire December 31
- A reversal of Medicaid cuts enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act earlier this summer
- Stricter limits on how the Trump Administration can allocate federal funds, intended to curb efforts to freeze, redirect, or cancel spending approved by Congress
Any stopgap measure will require 60 votes in the Senate, making bipartisan cooperation essential. Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries say their repeated requests to meet with Republican counterparts John Thune and Mike Johnson have gone unanswered—though Thune recently indicated a willingness to talk.
For now, both parties remain largely united behind their respective proposals. With time running short, the risk of a government shutdown looms unless a compromise is reached.