Congress
can avert another shutdown after January 30, 2026, by passing full-year
appropriations bills for the remaining departments or by passing another
short-term continuing resolution (CR). The most reliable method is enacting the
12 different appropriations bills, either individually or combined into an
omnibus or "minibus" package, by the September 30th deadline of each
fiscal year. The temporary CR passed in November 2025 is set to expire on
January 30, 2026, and the funding for the remaining agencies expires on that
date.
Passing
full-year appropriations
Congress
can pass all 12 of the required appropriations bills before the start of the
new fiscal year (October 1st).
The House and Senate Appropriations Committees are responsible for drafting these bills, which can then be passed individually or bundled together into larger "omnibus" or "minibus" bills.
Passing
a continuing resolution (CR)
If passing all 12 bills by September 30th is not possible, Congress can pass a continuing resolution to extend funding at current levels for a set period.
The current CR, which funds most government operations through January 30, 2026, is a short-term measure that avoids a shutdown but does not resolve the funding issues permanently.
To
avert another government shutdown after the current continuing resolution (CR)
expires on January 30, 2026, Congress must pass the remaining nine
full-year appropriations bills for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 and have them signed
into law by the President.
The recent legislation that ended the longest U.S. government shutdown provided full-year funding for only three of the 12 annual appropriations bills (Agriculture, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction-VA) through September 30, 2026. The rest of the federal government is currently funded only through January 30, 2026, by a short-term CR.
Key Actions Required
Pass the remaining nine bills: Both the House and the Senate must agree on and pass the remaining nine individual appropriations bills (e.g., Defense, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education) through the regular legislative process.
Presidential approval: The President must sign these bills into law.
Bipartisan compromise: Given the current political climate and divided control of Congress, successful passage will require significant bipartisan negotiation and compromise to reach the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster in the Senate.
Avoid using CRs as a long-term solution: While Congress can pass another short-term CR to temporarily extend funding beyond January 30, this only delays the core issue and is generally considered less effective than full-year appropriations, which allow agencies to plan and prioritize spending effectively.
Potential
Legislative Changes
To prevent future shutdowns, members of Congress have also introduced various bills that propose automatic, temporary funding if the regular process fails, such as the "End Government Shutdowns Act" and the "Prevent Government Shutdowns Act". These bills aim to create a mechanism for continued government operations without requiring explicit, repeated votes on CRs, but they must be passed into law themselves to take effect.
https://www.google.com/search?q=how+can+congress+avert+another+shutdown+after+january+30+2026
Comments
I prefer Legislation that prevents future shutdowns. The Senate is no longer the “wiser group” as it was in 1789. The House should use “Reconciliation” to fund the government after January 30, requiring a simple majority vote.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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