Government Will Remain Funded Until Early December
By Amy West GovTrack.us, Sept. 4, 2026
The House was in session for votes this week and they got the one thing they really needed to do done: the government will remain funded until December 11.
On Thursday September 3, House Leadership announced that they will start their “October Recess” on September 15. This means the House will be out of session from September 15 through at least November 9. The stated reasons, according to Politico, are so GOP (and presumably Dem too) members can campaign and because as usual, Speaker Johnson is having trouble corralling his members on tight votes.
At the moment, the Senate is still expected to return September 14 - October 2 and then also exit to campaign. This could change.
Government Remains Funded
H.R. 6500: Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 which funds the government through December 11 at current levels passed on September 1 and was signed by the President on September 2nd. It passed 370-48.
No regular fiscal year appropriations bills have passed yet and the new fiscal year starts October 1. If any regular appropriations bills are passed, its unlikely to occur until some time in 2027.
Chuck Edwards Censured
H.Res. 1498: In the matter of allegations relating to Representative Chuck Edwards passed 413-2 after Rep. Edwards requested a recorded vote. Rep. Edwards will leave Congress at the end of this term. The House Committee on Ethics concluded in early August that there was substantial reason to believe Representative Edwards violated House Rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces and recommended the censure vote that took place this week.
Resolution on Constitutional Amendment Regarding Supreme Court Fails
H.J.Res. 1: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require that the Supreme Court of the United States be composed of nine justices failed 212-206. But it got a majority! Yes, but it came to the floor under suspension of the rules and required a 2/3rds majority to pass. This was an odd legislative maneuver for a few reasons. One, it could have come to the floor like normal and would have passed because then it only needed a simple majority, which it got. Two, the Supreme Court’s size can be changed (or fixed at current levels or reduced) by statute. Jamie Dupree goes into more detail. Presumably, as Dupree notes, the goal was for it to fail and use that for campaign purposes since there are many other ways to adjust the Supreme Court’s size that would have a much better chance of actually becoming law.
New Laws
These three, plus the continuing resolution means that all four bills that could become law will. These three still need to go to the President for signing to be officially all done.
S. 858: Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act passed by voice vote.
S. 32: LACA, which clarifies where court may be held for certain district courts in Texas and California, passed 378-10.
S. 307: Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act, which addresses sexual harassment and sexual assault of Bureau of Prisons staff in prisons, passed 376-8.
Other Votes
None of these bills are close to becoming law yet; they still need to pass the Senate in the same form first.
H.R. 4795: Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026, which would prohibit colleges and universities from refusing to interact with Israeli businesses and educational institutions or lose federal funding, passed 237-169.
H.Res. 1490: Providing for the condemnation and denouncement of socialism in all its forms, passed 220-192. This is a “simple resolution” and it is at the end of its legislative process.
H.R. 9436: Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act of 2026, which would extend the pause on right whale regulations, passed 219-196.
H.R. 1501: Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025, which would amend the FAST Act to include certain mineral production activities as a covered project (in other words, to speed up permitting for mines), passed 218-201.
House Rules’ Member Day
We will hear more from our colleagues at the First Branch Forecast on this topic soon, but this week the House Rules Committee held its “Member Day”. This is when members can come to the committee to suggest changes to how the House functions in the next Congress since with the start of each new Congress every two years, there’s an opportunity to change the rules under which it operates. NOTUS wrote about it and suggested that training on how to handled classified information is a bipartisan concern and need along with the option to cast votes remotely while dealing with newborns or other family medical care.
Weekly Updates
Aug. 31, 2026, 6:56 p.m. — Vote
S. 307: Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act
Passed 376/8
Rep. Case [D-HI1]: Yea
Rep. Tokuda [D-HI2]: Yea
Trackers: Rep. Jill Tokuda [D-HI2], Roll Call Votes.
Aug. 31, 2026, 7:10 p.m. — Vote
S. 32: LACA
Passed 378/10
Rep. Case [D-HI1]: Yea
Rep. Tokuda [D-HI2]: Yea
Trackers: Rep. Jill Tokuda [D-HI2], Roll Call Votes.
Sept. 1, 2026, 2:03 p.m. — Vote
H.R. 6500: Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027
Passed 370/48
Rep. Case [D-HI1]: Yea
Rep. Tokuda [D-HI2]: Yea
Trackers: Rep. Jill Tokuda [D-HI2], Roll Call Votes.
Sept. 1, 2026, 2:12 p.m. — Vote
On Ordering the Previous Question: H.Res. 1499: Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1501) to amend the FAST Act …
Passed 212/205
Rep. Case [D-HI1]: Nay
Rep. Tokuda [D-HI2]: Nay
Trackers: Rep. Jill Tokuda [D-HI2], Roll Call Votes.
Sept. 1, 2026, 2:20 p.m. — Vote
H.Res. 1499: Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1501) to amend the FAST Act to include certain mineral production activities as a covered project, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 9436) to amend the Consoli
Passed 210/208
Rep. Case [D-HI1]: No
Rep. Tokuda [D-HI2]: No
Trackers: Rep. Jill Tokuda [D-HI2], Roll Call Votes.
Sept. 1, 2026, 5:47 p.m. — Vote
H.Res. 1490: Providing for the condemnation and denouncement of socialism in all its forms, and for other purposes.
Passed 220/192
Rep. Case [D-HI1]: Nay
Rep. Tokuda [D-HI2]: Nay
Trackers: Rep. Jill Tokuda [D-HI2], Roll Call Votes.
Sept. 1, 2026, 5:55 p.m. — Vote
On Motion to Recommit: H.R. 9436: Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act of 2026
Failed 202/212
Rep. Case [D-HI1]: Yea
Rep. Tokuda [D-HI2]: Yea
Trackers: Rep. Jill Tokuda [D-HI2], Roll Call Votes.
Sept. 1, 2026, 6 p.m. — Vote
H.R. 9436: Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act of 2026
Passed 219/196
Rep. Case [D-HI1]: Nay
Rep. Tokuda [D-HI2]: Nay
Trackers: Rep. Jill Tokuda [D-HI2], Roll Call Votes.
Sept. 1, 2026, 6:09 p.m. — Vote
H.Res. 1498: In the matter of allegations relating to Representative Chuck Edwards.
Passed 413/2
Rep. Case [D-HI1]: Yea
Rep. Tokuda [D-HI2]: Yea
Trackers: Rep. Jill Tokuda [D-HI2], Roll Call Votes.
Sept. 2, 2026, 4:34 p.m. — Vote
H.J.Res. 1: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to require that the Supreme Court of the United States be composed of nine justices.
Failed 212/206
Rep. Case [D-HI1]: Nay
Rep. Tokuda [D-HI2]: Nay
Trackers: Rep. Jill Tokuda [D-HI2], Roll Call Votes.
Sept. 2, 2026, 4:49 p.m. — Vote
H.R. 1501: Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025
Passed 218/201
Rep. Case [D-HI1]: Nay
Rep. Tokuda [D-HI2]: Nay
Trackers: Rep. Jill Tokuda [D-HI2], Roll Call Votes.
Sept. 3, 2026 — Introduced
H.R. 10293: To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to make improvements relating to the designation of rural emergency hospitals.
Sponsor: Rep. Jill Tokuda [D-HI2]
This bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and House Committee on Ways and Means which will consider it before sending it to the House floor for consideration.
1 cosponsor is on those committees.
Trackers: Rep. Jill Tokuda [D-HI2].
Sept. 3, 2026, 10:24 a.m. — Vote
H.R. 4795: Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026
Passed 237/169
Rep. Case [D-HI1]: Nay
Rep. Tokuda [D-HI2]: Nay
Trackers: Rep. Jill Tokuda [D-HI2], Roll Call Votes.