Yes - the 2026 federal budget was eventually approved, but only after two government shutdowns and a long standoff over Homeland Security funding. All 12 regular spending bills for fiscal year 2026 were signed into law by April 30, 2026. The new fiscal year, 2027, began on Oct. 1, 2026 without any full-year spending bills, so the government is running on a short-term funding law that lasts until Dec. 11, 2026.

Was the 2026 federal budget approved?

Yes. By April 30, 2026, Congress had passed and the President had signed full-year funding for every part of the government covered by the 12 annual appropriations bills. Getting there took most of the fiscal year, two shutdowns and several short-term extensions.

It helps to know what "the budget" means in Washington. There is no single budget law. Instead, Congress passes 12 separate appropriations bills each year, one for each area of government, such as defense, agriculture or health. The President's budget proposal is only a request, and Congress's own budget resolution is a blueprint that the President never signs. What actually funds agencies is the appropriations bills, which is why "was the budget approved" really means "were all 12 bills enacted".

For fiscal year 2026, the answer arrived in stages. Three bills were enacted in November 2025, three more in January 2026, five in early February and the last, for the Department of Homeland Security, at the end of April.

What happened with the 2026 budget, step by step?

The fiscal year 2026 funding fight ran from the autumn of 2025 into the spring of 2026. These are the key steps, in order:

The first shutdown, which lasted from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, 2025, was the longest in U.S. history. It ended when eight members of the Senate Democratic caucus joined Republicans to pass a deal that funded the government to Jan. 30 and guaranteed back pay for federal workers. The House approved it 222-209 and the President signed it the same day.

The second, much shorter shutdown came at the end of January 2026. The Senate passed a package of five bills on Jan. 30, but the House did not take it up until the following week, so funding briefly lapsed. The House passed it 217-214 on Feb. 3 and it was signed that day.

Homeland Security was the last piece. Senate Democrats withdrew their support for the department's bill in late January over immigration enforcement, so it was split from the main package and given only a two-week extension. When that expired, the department went without full-year funding until the Senate passed an amended bill on March 27 and the House agreed to it on April 30.

Separately, Republicans used the budget reconciliation process to pass the Secure America Act, which the President signed on June 10, 2026. Reconciliation bills need only a simple majority in the Senate, and this one provided roughly $70 billion for immigration enforcement over several years, including about $38.5 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and $26 billion for Customs and Border Protection.

Where does the 2027 federal budget stand now?

As of October 2026, none of the 12 appropriations bills for fiscal year 2027 has been enacted. The government is being funded by the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027, which keeps most agencies running at their 2026 funding levels from Oct. 1 to Dec. 11, 2026 - a period of 72 days.

That stopgap passed with broad support from both parties. The Senate approved it 90-6 in July and the House followed 370-48 on Sept. 1, and the President signed it on Sept. 2. Passing it early meant there was no repeat of the 2025 shutdown when the new fiscal year began, and it pushed the big spending decisions past the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

When Congress returns after the election, it has until Dec. 11 to act. In practice, lawmakers have three main options:

1. Pass some or all of the 12 bills, possibly bundled together in one large package known as an omnibus.
2. Extend the stopgap into 2027, leaving the decisions to the new Congress that starts in January.
3. Combine the two, passing some full-year bills and extending the rest.

If none of those happens by the deadline, agencies without full-year funding would face another shutdown. You can see when the House and Senate are scheduled to be in Washington in our 2026 congressional calendar.

How does the federal budget process work?

The federal budget process is supposed to follow a set order each year, starting with the President and ending with the 12 spending bills, all before the fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. In practice, Congress rarely finishes on time.

1. The President's budget request. The White House sends Congress a detailed proposal, usually in the first months of the year. It sets out priorities but has no legal force.
2. The budget resolution. Each chamber can adopt a budget resolution setting overall spending and revenue targets. It is a blueprint for Congress itself and does not go to the President.
3. The 12 appropriations bills. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees write one bill for each area of government. Each must pass both chambers and be signed by the President.
4. Stopgaps when needed. If the bills are not done by Oct. 1, Congress passes a continuing resolution to keep agencies open at current levels.
5. Shutdown if nothing passes. If funding lapses, agencies without appropriations must stop non-essential work.

The biggest hurdle is usually the Senate. Spending bills can be filibustered, so they normally need 60 votes to pass, which means the majority party almost always needs some support from the other side. That is why most funding deals are bipartisan, and why deadlines so often slip.

What is a continuing resolution?

A continuing resolution, or CR, is a temporary law that keeps the government funded when the regular spending bills are not finished on time. It usually continues funding at the previous year's levels for a set period, which can be a few days, a few months or, occasionally, a whole year.

CRs avoid a shutdown, but they have downsides. Agencies generally cannot start new programs or change spending priorities while running on a stopgap, and the uncertainty makes long-term planning harder for departments such as Defense. The current fiscal year 2027 CR, for example, includes the usual limits on new programs and increased production rates for the military.

Congress has relied on CRs at the start of almost every fiscal year in recent decades. In 2025, it even funded the whole of fiscal year 2025 through a full-year CR, the first time it had done so since 2013.

What happens during a government shutdown?

A government shutdown happens when funding for some or all agencies lapses because Congress has not passed appropriations or a stopgap. Agencies without funding must stop work that is not considered essential, and many federal employees are sent home without pay until funding is restored.

Not everything stops. These continue during a shutdown, though some services may be slower:

• Social Security and Medicare payments, which are mandatory spending and not part of the annual bills
• Military operations, though troops may be paid late
• Air traffic control, border protection and law enforcement, whose staff keep working, often without pay until the shutdown ends
• The Postal Service, which is funded by its own revenue

Things that typically close or slow down include national parks and museums, many federal permits and inspections, and some loan and grant programs. In recent shutdowns, Congress has guaranteed back pay to federal workers once funding returns. For more detail, see our guide to what closes in a shutdown.

What does topline spending mean?

Topline spending is the total amount of discretionary money that Congress agrees to spend in a year, before it is divided among the 12 appropriations bills. Agreeing on the topline is usually the first and hardest step in each year's funding talks, because every other number depends on it.

Discretionary spending is the part of the budget that Congress sets each year, covering things like defense, education, transportation and scientific research. It is roughly a quarter of all federal spending. The rest is mostly mandatory spending, such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, which continues automatically under existing laws, and interest on the national debt.

Because mandatory programs and interest keep growing as the population ages and debt rises, the annual budget fights are really about a shrinking share of the total. That is one reason the debates over the topline are so intense.

Frequently asked questions

When does the federal fiscal year start?

The federal fiscal year starts on Oct. 1 and ends on Sept. 30 the following year. Fiscal year 2027 runs from Oct. 1, 2026 to Sept. 30, 2027.

Is the government going to shut down in December 2026?

Not necessarily. Current funding runs until Dec. 11, 2026. A shutdown would happen only if Congress fails to pass either full-year spending bills or another extension before that date.

Does the President approve the budget?

The President proposes a budget and must sign each appropriations bill or continuing resolution for it to become law. The congressional budget resolution, however, is never sent to the President.

What is the difference between the budget and the deficit?

The budget is the plan for how much the government spends and collects. The deficit is the gap when spending is higher than revenue in a given year, and the national debt is the total of past deficits that have been borrowed.

Where can I check the status of the spending bills?

Congress.gov publishes an appropriations status table showing where each of the 12 bills stands, and the House and Senate Appropriations Committees post updates on their own websites.