The Senate has finalized an agreement to take action on three fiscal 2026 spending bills, breaking a multi-day impasse that prevented the first government funding bills of the yearly appropriations cycle from coming to the floor.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins requested Friday to tie together the Military Construction-VA and Agriculture-FDA bills. Under the agreement, a third bill to fund Congress itself will be voted on separately.
No senator objected, and votes on the so-called minibus are expected to begin swiftly Friday afternoon.
Current government funding runs out on Sept. 30, and lawmakers are expected to pursue a stopgap funding deal because the 12 annual appropriations bills will not be ready in time. This package is unlikely to become law but, if passed, will be used as a basis for future negotiations between the chambers and parties.
Collins stressed on the floor that the three measures “were approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee with overwhelming bipartisan support.”
It was the second attempt in two days to try to assemble a package of spending bills. An earlier request for a four-bill package, also including Commerce-Justice-Science measure, was derailed Thursday night by a single objection dealing with the FBI headquarters location.
The deal also tees up votes on a sizable roster of amendments offered by senators of both parties. The separate vote on congressional funding was set up at the behest of Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, who objected to the amount of spending in the $7.1 billion bill and wants the chance to vote against it separately.
