Upcoming Congressional Fiscal Policy Deadlines

Updated 5/4/26: On April 30, the House passed a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill, ending a partial shutdown that began on February 14 due to disagreements around funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Security Operations (BSO). The measure funds most of DHS, except for ICE and BSO. Though these agencies received funding through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, lawmakers plan on providing additional funding through a second reconciliation bill. A budget resolution, which begins the reconciliation process, was adopted by the Senate on April 23 and by the House on April 29.

On January 31, the government partially shut down as November 2024's continuing resolution only extended funding for certain agencies through January 30, 2026. This continuing resolution ended one of the longest shutdowns in modern history, which lasted from October 1 through November 12, 2024. During the shutdown, the Senate voted several times on two competing funding measures: H.R. 5371 and S. 2882. The shutdown ended when lawmakers eventually passed H.R. 5371, which provided full-year Agriculture, Military Construction-VA, and Legislative Branch appropriations, and continuing funding for other agencies. To follow the progress of appropriations, see our Appropriations Watch: FY 2026.

The next few years will include several predictable fiscal policy deadlines, as various policies take effect, expire, or change. Many of the deadlines could bring additional costs if Congress acts irresponsibly, or they could present an opportunity for Congress to reduce deficits.

We will regularly update this tracker and recommend that you bookmark it and return regularly to check in.