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What is the timeline and vote schedule for the continuing resolution 2025
Executive summary
The immediate timeline for the FY2026 continuing resolution (H.R. 5371) in recent coverage shows a fast-moving sequence in November 2025: the Senate took a 60-40 procedural step on Nov. 9 to advance a House-passed CR that would extend funding and avert the shutdown, and the bill would keep agencies funded through either Nov. 21, 2025, or until enactment of the applicable appropriations act — with further extension to Jan. 30, 2026, in the version that passed the Senate [1] [2]. Reporting makes clear votes were held in both chambers (House passage earlier, Senate procedural advance Nov. 9) and that final House consideration and timing remained fluid in mid-November [3] [4].
1. What lawmakers have already voted and when — the short checklist
The House first passed a continuing-resolution measure in March 2025 to fund the government through Sept. 30, 2025, by a 217–213 vote; that full-year CR was considered and passed by the Senate on March 14, 2025 [3]. Later in the fall, amid a shutdown that began Oct. 1, 2025, the Senate on Nov. 9, 2025, voted 60–40 in a procedural step to advance a House-passed funding bill (H.R. 5371), signaling movement toward ending the shutdown [1]. Congress.gov’s summary of H.R. 5371 describes its text and the funding windows it creates [2].
2. Key vote schedule items reported in November 2025
Senators approved a cloture/advance vote on Nov. 9, 2025, that permitted debate (up to 30 hours) before the next procedural step, which itself would require 60 votes to succeed — meaning bipartisan support was necessary to move the package to final passage [1]. Local live-coverage previews indicated the Senate planned to return and vote on a House-passed bill as early as Nov. 7 and through the week, with some outlets noting the Senate would aim to extend funding beyond Nov. 21 or into late January in amended form [5] [1] [6]. Newsweek and other live-updates said the House’s final vote timing on the Senate-amended CR was unclear as of Nov. 12, 2025, though the House was scheduled to return to session that week [4].
3. What H.R. 5371 would do and the calendar consequences
Congress.gov summarizes that H.R. 5371 provides continuing FY2026 appropriations to most federal agencies through the earlier of November 21, 2025, or enactment of the applicable appropriations act — and in the Senate-amended package it would also extend funding through January 30, 2026 (the latter tied to Senate amendments and amendments’ package of three full-year appropriations) [2] [1]. The bill also included provisions for back pay to furloughed federal employees and protections against reductions in force through Jan. 30, 2026, which shaped urgency around votes [2] [7].
4. How procedural hurdles affect the schedule
Senate rules require 60 votes to overcome many procedural obstacles (e.g., to end debate and proceed to final passage), so any scheduled vote must account for up to 30 hours of post-cloture debate and the need for crossover votes that cross party lines [1]. Multiple outlets noted the Senate’s procedural advance was a necessary step but not the final vote; the next procedural hurdle also would require 60 votes and then a subsequent final passage vote [1].
5. Political dynamics tied to vote timing
The November 2025 coverage shows political trade-offs shaping timing: Senate negotiators won a commitment to hold a mid-December vote on separately extending ACA premium tax credits, a concession some senators said helped secure bipartisan movement on the CR, while House leaders signaled reluctance to hold parallel votes on that extension [1] [6]. News organizations emphasized that House scheduling for any vote on a Senate-amended CR was uncertain and could be delayed even after Senate action, so calendars were not fixed [4].
6. Practical implications for the public and agencies
Reporting emphasized operational consequences: agencies were ordered to prepare to reopen offices and recall employees (with some memos directing staff to return Nov. 13 in an instance of a short-term reopening), and news outlets cited large numbers of furloughed or unpaid workers driving pressure to resolve votes quickly [4]. The CR’s Jan. 30, 2026, protections and back-pay provisions were central to those operational decisions [2] [7].
Limitations and gaps: available sources provided specific vote counts and key dates in March and November 2025 and described procedural steps and timeframes for debate, but they did not present a single, definitive minute-by-minute calendar for every expected floor vote across both chambers; House final vote timing on the Senate package was described as “unclear” in live reporting [4]. Where sources disagree — for example, House willingness to pair votes on ACA credits — I cite both the Senate negotiators’ commitment and reporting that House leaders resisted such linkage [1] [6].