Budget Committee Chair Proposes Funding Suspension to Avoid Shutdown

On Tuesday, House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) announced his push for a suspension on fundraising time to address the looming threat of a government shutdown this month and into November.

Congress faces the choice of either maintaining government funding until September 30th or risking its first shutdown in years.

While deliberating on the 2026 budget bill, lawmakers have been discussing Cole’s preference for a suspension that would keep funding at current levels, with an eye towards a stop that extends to “November,” as he mentioned on Tuesday.

Cole indicated that discussions are centered around a potential deadline of November 6th, but he emphasized, “The latest we might be looking at is the 20th.”

“My aim is to negotiate an agreement on all 12 bills,” he noted, alluding to the annual government funding bills that Congress is trying to compile. “Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) and I are collaborating, hoping that once we initiate the process, everything else will fall into place during discussions.”

Cole also endorsed funding for several programs in the 2026 budget starting October 1, expressing optimism about possible deals that could utilize stopgap measures for the remaining funding.

However, Congress is under pressure to finalize the deal, especially given the rising tensions over recent actions by the Trump administration concerning budget cuts. The administration is reportedly employing a tactic to withdraw approximately $5 billion from the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) without Congressional approval.

Democrats have vehemently opposed this strategy, labeling it illegal and detrimental to already fragile bipartisan negotiations. Though the administration defends its actions as legal, some Republican budget experts have also criticized the approach as “illegal.”

Cole addressed reporters on Tuesday, stating that the administration’s actions raised “just concerns,” yet he acknowledged, “the legal standing here is quite uncertain.”

“I would prefer Congressional votes on such matters. As long as there’s Congressional approval, I’m fine with retreating,” he added, but then noted, “It’s not exactly clear what the law actually dictates.”