The lame-duck Congress tracker
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55 days until the new Congress is sworn in on January 3, 2027. 7 of 7 items are still open. Anything that isn't law by then dies with this Congress.
Deadline: Friday, December 11
A stopgap funds the government through December 11. None of the 12 full-year spending bills is law: the House has passed 3, the Senate none. Without a new law, the government shuts down on December 12.
Source: Holland & Knight (October 2026); Fox News (November 9, 2026) · More detail →
Deadline: No hard deadline; passed every year since 1961
The House passed its version (H.R. 8800) 216–212 on July 22. In the Senate, a July 14 vote to take up S. 4784 failed 50–46. The Armed Services leaders are expected to negotiate a final version during the lame duck.
Source: Reed Smith via Trade Compliance Resource Hub (November 2, 2026)
Deadline: Expired September 30; older law returns after December 31
The 2018 farm bill's extension expired on September 30. Crop insurance and SNAP continue for now, but without action some programs fall back to permanent laws from the 1930s and 1940s. Senators are split over how long states get to delay their share of SNAP costs. Senate Majority Leader John Thune says finishing it depends on the votes and the time left.
Source: No Labels (October 13, 2026); Agri-Pulse (November 9, 2026)
Deadline: Could be reached as soon as February or March 2027
Federal borrowing is capped at $41.1 trillion, set by the 2025 reconciliation law. One Wall Street forecaster expects the cap to be hit around February or March 2027, after which the Treasury can use "extraordinary measures" for months. Thune has said an increase could come in the lame duck.
Source: Roll Call (September 9, 2026); No Labels (October 13, 2026)
Deadline: Lapsed; program goes dark without renewal by March 18, 2027
Congress's authorization for Section 702, which lets intelligence agencies collect foreigners' communications from U.S. companies, has lapsed. A court approval keeps collection going until March 18, 2027.
Source: The Hill via Yahoo News (November 4, 2026); No Labels (October 13, 2026)
Deadline: December 11
The stopgap also extends federal highway and transit programs, the National Flood Insurance Program and the EPA's chemical-review fees. They lapse with it unless they're renewed.
Source: Holland & Knight (October 2026)
Deadline: December 31
Mandatory funding for community health centers, TANF funding and a 2.5% Medicare payment increase for doctors expire at the end of the year, along with other health provisions.
Source: Holland & Knight (October 2026)
Status as reported through November 9, 2026. Votes update automatically from Congress.gov, the House Clerk and senate.gov.
Questions
What is the lame-duck session?
The time between the November election and January 3, when the outgoing Congress is still in office. This year it began on November 9 and is expected to run until Christmas, with a Thanksgiving break.
What happens to bills that don't pass?
Bills that aren't law by January 3, 2027 die with the 119th Congress and would have to be introduced again in the 120th, which Democrats will control.
What a lame-duck session is · Shutdown countdown · This week in Congress
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