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 has not completed all twelve annual spending bills on time since 1996. Fiscal Year 2026 marked a new low with a 43-day shutdown from October to November 2025—the longest in U.S. history—furloughing 900,000 workers and costing $15 billion weekly before resolution. 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 concerns triggered a brief partial shutdown starting January 31.
The House concurred with the Senate's deal on February 3 (217-214), passing five full-year bills (Defense, Labor-Health and Human Services-Education, Transportation-Housing and Urban Development, Financial Services, State-Foreign Operations) plus a DHS continuing resolution through February 13. President Trump signed February 4, ending the four-day shutdown with back pay guaranteed and funding 95% of government through September 30, 2026—marking near completion via regular order despite delays.
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People Involved
Virginia Foxx
Chair, House Rules Committee (Managing final appropriations package through Rules Committee)
Tom Cole
Chair, House Appropriations Committee (Completed House passage of FY2026 appropriations; 11 of 12 bills now law)
Susan Collins
Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee (Secured enactment of all remaining FY2026 bills except DHS CR)
John Thune
Senate Majority Leader (Managed final Senate floor action leading to shutdown resolution)
Hakeem Jeffries
House Minority Leader (Led Democratic opposition to DHS bill; seven members broke ranks to vote yes)
Organizations Involved
HO
House Committee on Rules
Congressional Committee
Status: Advancing emergency appropriations bills to House floor
Controls the terms of debate and amendments for legislation before House floor votes.
HO
House Committee on Appropriations
Congressional Committee
Status: Completed all 12 FY2026 bills: 11 enacted, DHS via CR to Feb 13
Originates all federal spending legislation and negotiates with Senate counterpart on final funding levels.
Timeline
President Signs FY2026 Funding Package
Legislative
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.
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.
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.
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.
Senate Passes First Three FY2026 Bills
Legislative
Military Construction-VA, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch appropriations pass Senate.
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.
DHS Appropriations Bill Introduced
Legislative
H.R. 4213, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, introduced in the House.
Scenarios
1
Full-Year Funding Enacted by January 30
Discussed by: House Appropriations Committee, Senate Majority Leader Thune, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
Both chambers pass the final four-bill package before the deadline. This would mark the first time since FY2019 that Congress completed appropriations through regular order rather than an omnibus. The CR expires without triggering a shutdown, and agencies receive full-year funding through September 30, 2026.
2
Another Continuing Resolution Extends Deadline
Discussed by: Roll Call, CT Mirror, appropriations analysts
Negotiations on DHS funding or other provisions stall, leading Congress to pass a short-term CR extending funding for remaining agencies. This would continue the pattern of temporary measures that has characterized appropriations for decades, though the consequences would be less severe than the fall shutdown since several agencies already have full-year funding.
3
Partial Shutdown Over DHS Funding
Discussed by: The Hill, CT Mirror, budget analysts
Disputes over DHS funding—potentially related to border security provisions—prevent passage of the full package. Agencies without full-year appropriations enter a partial shutdown on January 31. Impact would be more limited than October's closure since Agriculture, Military Construction-VA, and Legislative Branch already have FY2026 funding.
4
DHS Bill Fails, Other Agencies Funded
Discussed by: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, NBC News, The Hill
House Democrats' opposition blocks passage of the DHS appropriations bill while the other three bills (Defense, LHHS, THUD) pass with bipartisan support. DHS would continue under a separate CR or face a partial shutdown affecting only that department. Jeffries stated on January 21 that 'there's no bipartisan path forward for the Department of Homeland Security,' signaling potential Democratic unity against the bill despite Republican willingness to negotiate.
Historical Context
2018-2019 Government Shutdown (35 Days)
December 2018 - January 2019
What Happened
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.
Outcome
Short Term
Trump signed a temporary spending deal without wall funding. The government reopened on January 25, 2019.
Long Term
Set the record for longest shutdown at 35 days—until October 2025 broke it. Demonstrated how essential worker disruptions can force resolution.
Why It's Relevant Today
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.
1995-1996 Government Shutdowns (26 Days Total)
November 1995 - January 1996
What Happened
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.
Outcome
Short Term
Republicans accepted Clinton's budget after polling showed the public blamed them for the closures.
Long Term
Established that shutdowns carry political risk for the party seen as responsible. Led to budget surpluses by late 1990s through eventual compromise.
Why It's Relevant Today
Showed that public opinion can determine shutdown outcomes. In 2025, both parties sought to avoid blame while negotiations dragged past the 21-day record.
FY1997: Last On-Time Appropriations
September 1996
What Happened
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.
Outcome
Short Term
Agencies began the fiscal year with full funding certainty.
Long Term
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 It's Relevant Today
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.
