Rules Committee backs full‑year continuing resolution to fund government through Sept. 30

The House Rules Committee on Tuesday approved a closed rule to bring H.R. 1968, the Full‑Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, to the House floor, a measure supporters said would prevent a government shutdown and opponents said would cede too much authority to the executive and cut key programs.

Chairwoman Sharon Fox opened the hearing and introduced witnesses before the committee took up the continuing resolution, which the Appropriations Committee chairman described as a full‑year continuing resolution to fund the government through Sept. 30, 2025. "This legislation helps avoid the government shutting down and allows us to continue our work and service to the American people," Rep. Tom Cole, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, told the panel.

The bill would maintain largely flat funding for federal agencies while including a number of "anomalies," according to Cole, who said the measure increases defense discretionary spending slightly and leaves Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid untouched. "It's a clean CR, fully funding our government," Cole said. He added that the measure provides approximately $6 billion in additional funding to meet commitments for…