News · Politics & Accountability · Washington, D.C.
Congress returns for lame-duck session facing Dec. 11 funding deadline
Lawmakers return to Capitol Hill on Nov. 9 for a lame-duck session with a government funding deadline of Dec. 11, according to a Gray DC report carried by Live 5 News, WCAX, WIS and Valley News Live.
A lame-duck session is the stretch between the election of a new Congress and the start of its term. This one follows the 2026 midterm elections, which concluded with Election Day on Nov. 3, the report said.
The most pressing item, according to Gray DC, is the temporary funding measure Congress approved earlier this year to keep the government running through Election Day. That measure runs out on Dec. 11. The report said a shutdown before the holidays is possible if lawmakers do not reach agreement on a spending package.
Other unfinished business includes the remaining spending bills for fiscal year 2027, the National Defense Authorization Act and the Farm Bill, according to the report. Gray DC said the defense and farm measures both stalled in the period before the midterms.
The report said Republican leaders plan to use the closing weeks of the year to try to advance President Donald Trump's top priorities before control of both the House and Senate changes hands. According to Gray DC, Democrats, who will hold the majority in 2027, are not expected to cooperate, and their incoming control gives them added leverage in negotiations.
The report also said Trump has threatened to veto legislation that does not align with his agenda.
Beyond the immediate deadlines, both parties are expected to use the session to prepare for the 120th Congress, including new policy initiatives and messaging shaped by the midterm results, Gray DC reported.
The 120th Congress is scheduled to be seated in the first days of January 2027, according to the report.
The four outlets published identical versions of the Gray DC story, and none reported specific negotiating positions, vote counts or statements from individual lawmakers about how the funding deadline might be resolved.
Compiled by True News from reporting by Live 5 News, WCAX, WIS and Valley News Live. Each outlet's original story is linked below.
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