FY26 Appropriations Update

Last week, the House approved a three-part spending package covering Energy-Water, Interior, and Commerce-Justice-State (C-J-S) appropriations. Getting this passed requires some negotiation. When the package went before the Rules Committee on Tuesday, far-right members objected to certain earmarks in the C-J-S bill and to limited opportunities for members to propose amendments. The Committee paused proceedings without moving the rule forward. By Wednesday, leadership and dissenters reached a compromise: they agreed to remove a specific Democratic earmark through report language and to allow separate votes on each bill, enabling members to oppose the C-J-S bill but support the others. Republican leaders also committed to giving members more influence over future appropriations bills, especially regarding earmarks. On Thursday, the House passed all three parts of the package with a 397-28 vote.

This week, the Senate began reviewing the minibus approved by the House. Senate Democrats intend to introduce several controversial amendments, including one opposing the President’s plan to close a Colorado climate research lab and another challenging the administration's seizure of Venezuelan oil. On Monday evening, House and Senate appropriators released a bipartisan version of the next appropriations minibus, which contains the Financial Services-General Government and State-Foreign Operations bills. They initially hoped to include the Homeland Security bill but talks broke down after a recent ICE shooting in Minnesota. House leadership now aims to bring the two-bill package to a floor vote later this week.