Congress operates on Stopgap funding through December 11

Congress is operating under a continuing resolution that funds the legislative branch through December 11, 2026, as a regular fiscal 2027 appropriations bill has not yet been enacted. The stopgap measure, Public Law 119-103, covers the period from October 1 to December 11 and bars any pay adjustments for members of Congress during that window.

The pay freeze holds congressional salaries at $174,000, a level that has remained unchanged since January 2009. While the fiscal 2027 budget request totals $8.507 billion, representing a 17.2 percent increase from the previous year, the House-reported bill currently provides $5.442 billion for Title I items only.

The current funding arrangement follows a partial government shutdown at the start of fiscal 2026, which ended in November 2025. The fiscal 2027 Legislative Branch appropriations bill, H.R. 9010, is currently on the Union Calendar for floor consideration and includes a provision to extend the pay freeze through the fiscal year if enacted.

Read the full story at Legis1.