Public Policy and Government Affairs
Congress Avoids Government Shutdown Ahead of Midterms
Written by: Space Foundation Insights Team
Congress avoided an Oct. 1 government shutdown as the U.S. House approved a continuing resolution (CR) Tuesday. The measure ensures government funding through Dec. 11.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign the measure into law. House members gave bipartisan approval with a 370-48 vote. The Senate approved the agreement last month. The temporary budget bill will keep key space programs running. That includes NASA’s planned 2027 Artemis III mission to test equipment ahead of a later lunar landing. The CR also funds Pentagon space efforts. The CR could slow the development of new systems envisioned in the Space Force’s larger 2027 spending plan. Under the agreement, funding is held at 2025 spending levels.
Expect Budget Bargaining After Midterms
House Appropriations Committee Chairman U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla, praised the continuing resolution,. Itt will give Congress a better chance to reach a 2027 budget accord after the November midterm elections he said.
“We bought the time we need to get through the election cycle and hopefully the time that we need to get down to serious bargaining on the other side of it,” Cole said.
The chairman expressed concern that continued budget gridlock could bring a repeat of 2025. That year, lawmakers used a yearlong continuing resolution to keepagencies running with budgets at 2024 levels.
Pentagon Space Spending Poised to Jump in FY27
The Pentagon’s 2027 request would double spending on space programs. It delivers an estimated $126 billion for military and intelligence community funding, up from an estimated $63 billion in 2026. House and Senate committees approved the budget increase, but the spending plan stalled in the Senate.
The Pentagon’s 2027 space plans include 31 orbital launches, development of a satellite constellation to track moving targets, and an additional $1.5 billion for commercial programs, including SpaceX’s Starshield communications constellation. The procurement budget for the Space Force was poised to grow from $4.2 billion to $19.2 billion.