HR 9770: Making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2027, and for other purposes.

HR 9770 in plain English: This bill provides temporary, continuing federal government funding at FY2026 spending levels through December 4, 2026, preventing a government shutdown at the start of FY2027 on October 1, 2026. It includes specific funding exceptions for programs such as WIC, FEMA disaster relief, and the Indian Health Service, and extends several expiring programs including TANF and the National Flood Insurance Program.

Stated purpose

To keep the federal government funded and operating at roughly the prior year's spending levels through early December 2026, preventing a government shutdown while full-year budget bills are still being negotiated.

Key points

• Funds most federal agencies at FY2026 levels through December 4, 2026, or until full appropriations are enacted
• Provides $75,774,000 for Indian Health Services and $8,296,000 for Indian Health Facilities for new facility staffing and operations
• Extends expiring programs including TANF, the National Flood Insurance Program, and livestock mandatory price reporting
• Freezes cost-of-living adjustments for Members of Congress and limits pay increases for the Vice President and senior political appointees
• Provides $174,000 each to the heirs of the late Representative David Scott and the late Senator Lindsey Graham

Arguments supporters make

• Without this bill, the government would shut down on October 1, 2026, disrupting services millions of people depend on and sending federal workers home without pay.
• It preserves critical safety-net programs like WIC and TANF with specific funding protections, ensuring vulnerable families do not lose benefits during budget negotiations.
• A short-term extension through December 4 gives Congress time to pass full, properly debated appropriations bills rather than rushing a flawed long-term budget.

Arguments opponents make

• Continuing resolutions lock in prior-year spending levels and delay real budget decisions, making it harder to cut wasteful programs or redirect money to new priorities.
• Relying repeatedly on short-term CRs instead of passing full annual budgets reflects a failure of Congress to do its basic job and creates uncertainty for agencies trying to plan.
• Temporary patches like this often get extended again, meaning the government can drift for months or years without a real budget debate or meaningful spending reform.

Tradeoffs

Passing a CR avoids an immediate shutdown and protects ongoing programs, but it does so by deferring hard choices about spending levels and priorities — trading short-term stability for continued budget uncertainty.

Current status in Congress: Passed House.

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