Senate Nears Five‑Bill 'Minibus' Deal to Fund Most of Government Through 2026, Aiming to Avert Shutdown

Senate leaders are closing in on an agreement to advance a five‑bill appropriations “minibus” that would fund the bulk of the federal government through fiscal 2026 and could largely remove the prospect of a shutdown early next year.

What the Minibus Covers

The package bundles funding for the Departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Commerce, Justice, Interior, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee estimate that if enacted it would cover roughly 85–90% of federal activity.

Next Steps And Deadlines

Any final measure must still pass the House and be signed by President Trump to become law. Without new funding, most federal agencies face a Feb. 1 lapse of appropriations; a smaller set of accounts — including Homeland Security, State, foreign operations, energy and water projects, and financial services — carry a Jan. 30 deadline.

Negotiations And Key Disputes

Senators spent Wednesday evening negotiating on the Senate floor to try to complete work before lawmakers adjourn for the year. Republicans have proposed eight priority amendments they want considered; sources say up to five of those could be resolved by voice votes. Democrats initially demanded votes on 40 amendments and pared that list to 15 by Thursday afternoon.

Remaining disputes include:

• Legal protections for senators: Sen. Martin Heinrich (D‑N.M.) pushed an amendment to remove language that would allow senators to sue the Department of Justice if they claim they were targeted in an investigation tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Earlier legislation that permitted a group of eight GOP senators to sue the Justice Department was included in the bill that reopened the government after a 43‑day shutdown.
• Health‑care subsidies: Expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies were a central issue in the prior shutdown. Four House Republicans recently joined a Democratic discharge petition to force a House floor vote on a three‑year subsidy extension; the Senate’s support for such an extension remains uncertain.
• Earmarks and park‑land language: Sen. Mike Lee (R‑Utah) has sought amendments to remove earmarks from the minibus and to delete language in the Interior title that would require the federal government to continue managing lands within national parks as federal lands.

Context And Political Stakes

Last month, President Trump signed a separate measure funding military construction, Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture and the legislative branch through Sept. 30, 2026; that bill also included Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provisions. If the Senate minibus becomes law and the House agrees, only a handful of departments would remain on an earlier funding deadline.

With time running short, negotiators are balancing bipartisan pressure to avoid another shutdown against partisan fights over policy riders. Passage in the Senate and the House — and the president’s signature — will determine whether the package succeeds in averting a lapse in funding.

Bottom line: The minibus could stop most of the government from shutting down in February, but outstanding amendment fights and the need for House approval leave the final outcome uncertain.

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