Congress faces a September 30, 2026 deadline to pass appropriations bills or risk a government shutdown, though most federal agencies have already been funded through the end of the fiscal year.
In early February, Congress passed a $1.2 trillion spending package that funded most federal agencies through September 30, 2026, according to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. The agreement resolved a period of fractious negotiations that had left the Department of Homeland Security unfunded for 76 days—the longest shutdown of a federal department in U.S. history.
The February funding deal excluded full funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which remained unfunded after the record DHS shutdown that began February 14 and ended April 30, 2026. President Trump signed the compromise bill on April 30, ending the standoff over immigration enforcement reforms, according to Politico and NPR.
With most agencies now funded through September 30, the immediate shutdown threat has receded, though Congress will need to act before that date to prevent a lapse in appropriations. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget noted that September 30 marks the fiscal year end, and various programs and authorities also expire that day. The House Committee on Appropriations has been steadily advancing fiscal year 2027 appropriations bills throughout June 2026, according to budget tracking firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.
Sources
- Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget — identified September 30, 2026 as the fiscal year end and upcoming deadline
- National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators — reported February 4, 2026 spending agreement funding government through September 30
- Politico — confirmed April 30, 2026 end of 76-day DHS shutdown
- NPR — reported House passage of DHS funding bill ending shutdown on April 30, 2026
- Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck — noted House Committee advancing FY2027 appropriations bills in June 2026
