Congress races to complete FY2026 funding after record shutdown
Rule Changes
Congress completes 11 of 12 FY2026 bills; shutdown ends February 4 after House concurrence and presidential signature; DHS funded through February 13 CR
Congress completes 11 of 12 FY2026 bills; shutdown ends February 4 after House concurrence and presidential signature; DHS funded through February 13 CR
Congress hasn't completed all twelve annual spending bills on time since 1996. Fiscal Year 2026 saw a 43-day shutdown from October to November 2025, the longest in U.S. history, that furloughed 900,000 workers and cost $15 billion weekly.
Six bills became law early. The House passed the final package January 23, but Senate modifications over Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement triggered a brief shutdown starting January 31.
The House concurred with the Senate's deal on February 3 (217-214), approving five full-year bills (Defense, Labor-Health and Human Services-Education, Transportation-Housing and Urban Development, Financial Services, State-Foreign Operations) and a DHS continuing resolution through February 13. President Trump signed February 4, ending the four-day shutdown with back pay for workers. The bill funds 95% of government through September 30, 2026.
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Latest: February 4th, 2026 · 4 months ago
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February 2026
President Signs FY2026 Funding Package
LatestLegislative
President Trump enacts H.R. 7148, providing full-year funding for five bills and DHS CR through February 13; ends four-day partial shutdown affecting Defense, DHS, Labor-HHS-Education, and Transportation-HUD.
House Concurs on Senate Package 217-214
Legislative
House approves Senate-modified five-bill package plus DHS CR to February 13, sending to President; narrow vote with 21 Democrats joining Republicans ends partial shutdown threat.
January 2026
Senate Passes Modified Spending Deal 71-29
Legislative
Senate approves five full-year appropriations bills (Defense, LHHS, THUD, plus Financial Services and State Department) and two-week DHS continuing resolution, splitting DHS from package after Democratic opposition over ICE concerns. Only five Republicans vote no: Senators Paul, Cruz, Lee, Johnson, and Scott.
Senate Blocks House-Passed Spending Package
Legislative
Senate vote fails 45-55, falling short of 60 votes needed to advance. All Democrats and several Republicans vote against the six-bill package over DHS funding concerns. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer states: 'Until ICE is properly reined in and overhauled legislatively, the DHS funding bill doesn't have the votes to pass.'
House Passes Final Appropriations Package
Legislative
H.R. 7148 (Consolidated Appropriations: Defense, LHHS, THUD) passes 341-88 with bipartisan support. H.R. 7147 (DHS Appropriations) passes 220-207 as seven Democrats break with leadership to vote yes: Reps. Cuellar (TX), Davis (NC), Gillen (NY), Gonzalez (TX), Golden (ME), Gluesenkamp Perez (WA), and Suozzi (NY). Package totals approximately $1.2 trillion.
Rules Committee Clears Bills for House Floor
Legislative
House Rules Committee reports H.R. 7147 (DHS Appropriations) with record vote of 9-4, advancing both spending bills to House floor for next-day consideration.
House Rules Committee meets to advance H.R. 7148 (Consolidated Appropriations Act) and H.R. 7147 (DHS Appropriations) to floor.
House Democrats Announce Opposition to DHS Funding
Legislative
House Democratic leaders tell members in closed-door meeting they will vote against DHS appropriations bill over concerns it fails to adequately constrain ICE following fatal shooting of Minneapolis woman earlier this month.
Final Four-Bill Package Released
Legislative
House Appropriations releases conferenced Defense, Homeland, LHHS, and THUD bills totaling approximately $1.2 trillion.
Senate Passes Three-Bill Package
Legislative
CJS, Energy-Water, and Interior bills pass Senate 82-15 with bipartisan support.
Financial Services and State Department Bills Pass House
Legislative
Two more appropriations bills advance 341-79, bringing total enacted to six of twelve.
House Passes Three-Bill Package
Legislative
Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy-Water, and Interior-Environment appropriations pass House 397-28.
November 2025
43-Day Shutdown Ends
Legislative
House passes CR 222-209, funding three agencies fully and others through January 30. Longest shutdown in U.S. history concludes.
SNAP Benefits Cut to 50%
Crisis
USDA announces partial SNAP payments after lawsuits, affecting 41 million recipients.
October 2025
First Zero-Pay Day for Federal Workers
Crisis
Approximately 900,000 furloughed employees and 2 million working without pay miss first paycheck.
Government Shutdown Begins
Crisis
Federal government enters shutdown as Congress fails to pass appropriations or continuing resolution by fiscal year start.
August 2025
Senate Passes First Three FY2026 Bills
Legislative
Military Construction-VA, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch appropriations pass Senate.
July 2025
House Adopts FY2026 Spending Allocations
Legislative
Appropriations Committee approves $1.598 trillion topline by party-line 35-26 vote, cutting non-defense by 6%.
One Big Beautiful Bill Signed Into Law
Legislative
P.L. 119-21 enacted, including $900 billion in Medicaid cuts and ACA subsidy changes that became flashpoints in budget negotiations.
June 2025
DHS Appropriations Bill Introduced
Legislative
H.R. 4213, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, introduced in the House.
Historical Context
3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
1 of 3
December 2018 - January 2019
2018-2019 Government Shutdown (35 Days)
President Trump demanded $5.7 billion for a border wall. Democrats refused. The partial shutdown furloughed 380,000 workers and left 420,000 working without pay. It ended after air traffic controllers called in sick, causing travel disruptions that pressured both parties.
Then
Trump signed a temporary spending deal without wall funding. The government reopened on January 25, 2019.
Now
Set the record for longest shutdown at 35 days—until October 2025 broke it. Demonstrated how essential worker disruptions can force resolution.
Why this matters now
The 2025 shutdown exceeded this by 8 days, showing that political brinksmanship over appropriations continues to escalate. Both involved disputes over border security and DHS funding.
2 of 3
November 1995 - January 1996
1995-1996 Government Shutdowns (26 Days Total)
Speaker Newt Gingrich led the newly Republican House in a standoff with President Clinton over balancing the budget. Two shutdowns—5 days and 21 days—closed agencies and furloughed 800,000 workers. Gingrich later admitted his frustration with Clinton's treatment on Air Force One contributed to the impasse.
Then
Republicans accepted Clinton's budget after polling showed the public blamed them for the closures.
Now
Established that shutdowns carry political risk for the party seen as responsible. Led to budget surpluses by late 1990s through eventual compromise.
Why this matters now
Showed that public opinion can determine shutdown outcomes. In 2025, both parties sought to avoid blame while negotiations dragged past the 21-day record.
3 of 3
September 1996
FY1997: Last On-Time Appropriations
Congress passed all twelve regular appropriations bills before the October 1 start of fiscal year 1997. This followed the contentious 1995-1996 shutdowns and came during a presidential election year when both parties wanted to demonstrate governing competence.
Then
Agencies began the fiscal year with full funding certainty.
Now
This has not been repeated. In the 29 fiscal years since, Congress has never enacted all appropriations on time, increasingly relying on CRs and omnibus packages.
Why this matters now
The FY2026 process—if completed this week—would represent a partial return to regular order, though still four months late. Last time Congress advanced bills through conference was FY2019.
