A race against the clock: House sends final spending bills to Senate

• The U.S. House of Representatives passed the final four bills of the Fiscal Year 2026 federal budget on January 22, sending them to the Senate.
• The $1.2 trillion package funds key agencies including Defense, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services and Education.
• A partial government shutdown will occur on January 30 if the Senate does not pass the bills and send them to the President.
• The Homeland Security funding bill faces significant Democratic opposition over concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.
• The Senate, currently on recess, must pass six total appropriations bills before the deadline to avoid a shutdown.

In a decisive move to avert a partial government shutdown, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the last four bills of the federal budget for Fiscal Year 2026 on Thursday, January 22. The action shifts the pressure to the Senate, which must now approve the legislation before funding expires on January 30. The $1.2 trillion package, which funds the majority of the federal government, was passed with bipartisan support for three bills but faced sharp partisan division over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, highlighting deep political fissures over immigration enforcement.

Navigating a political minefield

The House’s passage of the four-bill “minibus” package represents the culmination of the annual appropriations process, a fundamental congressional duty outlined in the Constitution. Historically, this process has been fraught with last-minute negotiations and brinkmanship, often leading to temporary funding patches or, as seen in a record 43-day stretch last year, full-scale shutdowns. This year’s effort aimed to replace temporary measures with full-year funding, a goal touted by House Republican leadership as a return to regular order and a fulfillment of the “America First” agenda. However, the path forward remains precarious, as the Senate is currently on a one-week recess and must reconcile its own versions of six outstanding bills with the House’s proposals before the fast-approaching deadline.

Homeland Security bill sparks Democratic revolt

While three of the four bills passed with wide bipartisan margins, the fourth—funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—passed narrowly on a near-party-line vote of 220-207. The bill has become a flashpoint, with House Democratic leaders publicly urging their caucus to oppose it. Their opposition stems from concerns that the legislation inadequately addresses the enforcement tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), particularly following the recent fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by an ICE agent in Minnesota. Democrats argue the bill fails to impose sufficient oversight and accountability on the agency, which is central to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. The bill holds ICE funding roughly flat and includes $20 million for body cameras, provisions critics deem insufficient to rein in what they see as overreach.

Senate hurdles and legislative tightrope

The Senate now faces the complex task of passing the House’s bills alongside its own remaining appropriations measures in a compressed timeframe. Beyond the contentious DHS funding, other potential obstacles loom. Some Midwestern Republicans have pushed for provisions to allow year-round sales of E15 gasoline, a move opposed by environmental groups and some lawmakers. Furthermore, a winter storm forecast for Washington could disrupt the legislative schedule, adding another layer of uncertainty. The political calculus is delicate: while there is broad consensus to avoid a shutdown, the specific provisions within each bill, particularly for Homeland Security, threaten to derail a swift resolution.

A legacy of budgetary brinkmanship

The current standoff is the latest chapter in a decades-long trend of congressional budget battles that increasingly push the government to the edge of a shutdown. Since the modern budget process was established in the 1970s, the use of continuing resolutions and omnibus packages has become commonplace, often eroding the detailed oversight intended by the separate appropriations process. These high-stakes negotiations frequently hinge on contentious policy riders, turning must-pass spending bills into vehicles for political clashes over issues like immigration, healthcare and environmental regulation. The outcome of this cycle will test whether a divided government can fulfill its basic funding responsibilities or if the nation is destined for another period of federal uncertainty.

A deadline looms for the upper chamber

With the House’s work complete, the focus intensifies on the Senate as the January 30 shutdown deadline draws near. The passage of the funding bills by the lower chamber sets the stage for a critical week of negotiation and vote-counting in the upper chamber. The nation watches to see if lawmakers can bridge their deep policy divides to keep the government operational, or if the political discord over immigration and enforcement will trigger the first partial shutdown of the new fiscal year. The outcome will have immediate consequences for federal operations and serve as a telling indicator of the legislative productivity possible in a politically polarized Washington.

Sources for this article include:

JustTheNews.com

CNBC.com

ABCNews.go.com