The U.S. Congress has approved a five-bill appropriations package, securing full-year funding for several federal departments and agencies for the 2026 fiscal year. The House of Representatives passed the legislation by a narrow vote of 217 to 214, following earlier Senate approval with a vote of 71 to 29. The package now awaits the President’s signature.
Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, commented on the passage:
“Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a fiscally responsible, five-bill funding package that reflects months of bipartisan and bicameral negotiations. The legislation will invest in lifesaving biomedical research that can lead to health advances for prevention, treatment, and cures; support our national security and our military men and women, including by fully funding the 3.8 percent pay raise for service members and the additional pay raise for junior enlisted service members; enhance court security; modernize our nation’s outdated air traffic system and address the air traffic controller shortage; and support America’s workforce, children, and families.
“Passage of this package shows that we as a Congress can come together in a bipartisan way to deliver real results for the people we are honored to represent. I appreciate the members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees for working with me to pass these bills and send them to the President for his signature.”
The legislative bundle covers funding for areas such as defense, financial services, labor, health care programs, education initiatives, national security measures through the Department of State, transportation infrastructure projects, housing programs and urban development.
Additionally, funding is continued for the Department of Homeland Security until February 13, 2026. This extension allows more time to review further proposals related to reforms already included in this bill—such as introducing body-worn cameras for ICE and CBP officers.
The Senate Appropriations Committee plays a central role in managing federal government operations through its legislative oversight over spending bills like these. The committee examines spending proposals across different sectors—including trade and international affairs—while promoting open budgeting processes according to its official website. Its work ensures accountability in public money management by overseeing expenditures mandated by law (source). Since its establishment in 1867 (source), it has influenced fiscal policy through hearings on spending plans and reviews of government programs (source). The committee draws authority from constitutional requirements that funds be allocated only through legal appropriations (source).
The current legislation is an example of how Congress manages complex federal budgets under oversight from key committees like Appropriations (source).
