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President Donald Trump said July 22 that the government is headed for a shutdown Sept. 30, when current funding lapses, Reuters reported.The comment came after the House of Representatives passed a stopgap funding resolution that would keep the government open through early December. The resolution will now head to the Senate, but with August recesses for both chambers rapidly approaching, the clock is ticking.Here’s what you should know about congressional calendars between now and the end of September.August recess narrows an already tight windowThe government’s current funding is set to run out Sept. 30. In theory, that would leave upwards of 50 days, not including weekends, to hammer out a budget.There’s just one problem with that timeline –– both chambers will soon depart DC for their August recess.GOP House leadership was eager to pass the funding bill quickly, as its members’ recess begins July 27 and runs through Aug. 28. The House officially reconvenes on Sept. 1.Add to that another week off from Sept. 7 to Sept 11, marked by both Labor Day and the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, and the House has 16 days in session before the funding deadline hits.Meanwhile, the Senate's recess begins Aug. 10, with lawmakers due back in the chamber on Sept. 11. They don’t officially reconvene on Capitol Hill until Sept. 14. That leaves 24 days of work between July 23 and Sept. 30.11 days for both chambersThe margins for getting a funding bill passed before the end of September are increasingly thin.And if the Senate decides to make amendments to the bill passed July 21, it will have to go back to the House for another vote, narrowing the window even further.All told, between now and Sept. 30, both chambers will be in session at the same time for a mere 11 days after this week.Another year, another shutdown loomsBy now, the American public is well aware of what a government shutdown means.The recent saga is reminiscent of last year’s record-breaking 43-day government shutdown, which kicked off Oct. 1, 2025, after Congress failed to pass a funding bill.While that shutdown ostensibly ended in mid-November, a partial government shutdown dragged on through April, snarling the Department of Homeland Security and causing long delays and confusion at airports across the country.Drew Pittock covers national trending news for USA TODAY. He can be reached at DPittock@usatodayco.com.
