House appropriators unveiled a three-bill minibus funding package covering major federal agencies as Congress faces a looming deadline to keep the government open.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., unveiled a “minibus” spending bill Monday that bundles several major appropriations measures as lawmakers work to avoid a government shutdown later this month.
Congress has roughly three weeks to pass either full-year appropriations or a stop-gap continuing resolution to stop a shutdown when current funding expires. The newly released House package combines the Interior, Energy and Water, and Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bills and could be brought to the House floor for a vote as soon as Thursday.
In announcing the measure, Cole said the minibus reflects progress toward completing fiscal year 2026 funding while prioritizing national security, public safety, and infrastructure investment. According to a statement released by the committee, the package was negotiated on a bipartisan and bicameral basis.
“President Trump set an important foundation by signing three appropriations bills into law in November, and we are carrying that momentum into the new year,” Cole said in a written statement. “This bipartisan, bicameral package reflects steady progress toward completing FY26 funding responsibly. It invests in priorities crucial to the American people: making our communities safer, supporting affordable and reliable energy, and responsibly managing vital resources. It also delivers critical community projects nationwide, along with investments in water infrastructure, ports, and flood control that protect localities and keep commerce moving. Developed through committee-led negotiations and thoughtful deliberation, this package demonstrates how an accountable process produces strong policy. I commend our Cardinals for their leadership in producing a measure that turns priorities into action and puts America first.”
The House Appropriations Committee said the minibus does not include so-called “poison pill” provisions. Instead, it retains long-standing policy riders related to Second Amendment protections and pro-life measures, while keeping overall spending below current continuing resolution levels.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said the legislation would reinforce Congress’s constitutional authority over federal spending rather than deferring power to the executive branch.
“Perhaps most importantly, this legislation reasserts Congress’s power of the purse,” DeLauro said in a statement. “Rather than another short-sighted stop-gap measure that affords the Trump Administration broader discretion, this full-year package restrains the White House through precise, legally binding spending requirements. There is still much more work to do before January 30, but this is an important first step.”
“I look forward to casting my vote in favor of this package,” she added.
The release of the minibus spending bill suggests momentum toward avoiding a shutdown this month. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has also downplayed expectations of a major partisan clash over funding, telling reporters he does not anticipate a significant spending fight, according to comments reported in Politico’s Playbook.
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