The new 119th Congress has jumped into action in early 2026, moving appropriations quickly, navigating a bipartisan health subsidy extension, and signaling strong alignment with President Trump on several vetoes and priorities.
The House came out of the gate passing three minibus appropriations bills with broad support, which could help prevent a government shutdown if the Senate follows suit. Those packages cover departments like Justice, Commerce, Energy, Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency and were presented in a way that encouraged straightforward votes. Lawmakers trimmed earmarks tied to scandal and kept the bills lean, which made them easier for many to back. The 397-28 vote on the package shows a rare moment of wide agreement on funding the basic functions of government.
The House on Thursday passed three appropriations bills with broad bipartisan support, moving lawmakers closer to avoiding an end-of-month shutdown.
The bills would fund the Department of Justice, Department of Commerce, key science agencies and other related entities; the Department of Energy and water development; and the Department of Interior, Environmental Protection Agency and other related agencies.
The vote tally on the final passage of the package was 397-28, and it now will head to the Senate.
“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,” House Appropriations Chair Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) previously said in a statement.
There was a tactical win when members removed a controversial earmark tied to a Somali-led organization after reports of fraud out of Minnesota. That move appealed to fiscal conservatives and moderates alike and removed a flashpoint that could have derailed the bills. By keeping the packages narrow and purposeful, members avoided bundling controversial items that usually kill support. Presenting Justice and Commerce as a single, focused bill helped reduce opposition driven by unrelated grievances.
At the same time, the House showed loyalty to the president by declining to override two vetoes related to water and tribal land issues. The vetoes stopped H.R. 131, a project to continue the Arkansas Valley Conduit water pipeline, and H.R. 504, concerning land protections for a Florida tribe. House Republicans sided with the president rather than forcing those measures past his objections. That choice underscores a priority on party unity and backing the administration’s broader political stance.
The House on Thursday failed to override President Trump’s vetoes of two previously uncontroversial bills concerning a Colorado water project and expanding lands of a tribe in Florida.
The move showcases House Republicans’ loyalty to the president and support for his political battles, as the vetoes had been seen as instances of Trump acting on political grudges.
On health care, the House took a different route and approved a three-year extension of expired Affordable Care Act subsidies with a bipartisan vote that included 17 House Republicans joining Democrats. That move was intended to avert disruption for Americans who rely on premium assistance, but it created internal friction. Some conservatives saw it as kicking the problem to the Senate or undermining longer-term GOP health priorities. The extension also stirred controversy because it touches on policy elements some Republicans find unacceptable.
As Fox News’ Chad Pergram , the vote was expected to pass on a bipartisan basis; The “coalition of lawmakers went around the Speaker to put this bill on the floor. The expired subsidies were central to the government shutdown.”
Now it heads over to the U.S. Senate, where its fate is uncertain at this hour; it rejected a similar bill in December, readers might recall. The upper chamber’s bipartisan group has differences already in their proposed bill, including the number of years it would cover, among other provisions.
Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) was blunt about his view that the House’s maneuver may have been futile. He warned that altering long-standing provisions, like the Hyde Amendment, complicates bipartisan support and crosses red lines for many conservatives. That issue — whether federal funds can be used in ways tied to abortion policy — has been a major sticking point. For senators crafting an alternative, the existence of a House-passed extension adds negotiating tension rather than resolving the policy path forward.
“We don’t do federal funding for abortions,” Moreno said. “That’s a long-standing tradition, nobody’s looking to change that.”
Senate Republicans have their own ideas for revamping health care, and they seem more prepared this time with a plan on the table. The House’s version is unlikely to be the final word, especially given the Senate’s past resistance to similar measures. The upper chamber will wrestle with the duration of any extension and specific policy riders before agreeing to language that could reach the president. Meanwhile, passing three of 12 appropriations bills is real progress, but the clock is still ticking to complete funding before month’s end.
https://x.com/ChadPergram/status/2009382784444584437
The opening weeks of the 119th show a House focused on results and political alignment, balancing bipartisan deals with loyalty to the president. That mix of pragmatism and party discipline will shape how the rest of January plays out in Congress. Members now face the hard task of finishing the remaining appropriations and reconciling competing visions for health care and other priorities.
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