Three major policy threads will define January in Washington — a government funding deadline that could trigger a partial shutdown, a bipartisan race to restrict chip exports to adversaries, and two landmark infrastructure reauthorization bills entering critical markup windows.
With only three of the 12 appropriations bills passed for FY2026, there is still a lot of progress to be made on government funding before the continuing resolution expires on January 30th. Appropriators say they are nearing deals on a five-bill minibus and negotiating still on the remaining four bills, but the lack of movement during December means all eyes are on whether there will be a partial government shutdown starting February 1st.
While lawmakers were not able to come to an agreement on chip export control language for the FY26 NDAA, there is clearly a desire to get something done sooner rather than later. Since the NDAA was signed into law, the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman and ranking member have released separate bills to restrict chip sales to adversarial nations. The Senate also has competing legislation to address chip sales.
With the NDAA off the table as a vehicle, we’ll be watching if a deal can be reached on standalone consensus language or if a product finds another bill to catch a ride on.
January will see more movement for two major infrastructure reauthorization bills. EPW Chairwoman Shelley Moore Capito is hoping her committee will markup their surface transportation reauthorization bill in March, and T&I Chairman Sam Graves is aiming to have his panel’s done in early 2026.
Additionally, the portal for House members to submit their priorities for the Water Resources Development Act opens in January — an early signal for what earmarks and project priorities will shape the final bill.
If the continuing resolution expires without a replacement, the federal government faces a partial shutdown beginning February 1st. Only the nine agencies and departments whose appropriations bills remain unresolved would be affected — the three passed bills would remain funded.
A minibus is a package of several appropriations bills combined into a single vote — smaller than an omnibus (which bundles all 12), but larger than passing individual bills one at a time. Appropriators are reportedly nearing a deal on a five-bill minibus to make up ground before the deadline.
Lawmakers were unable to resolve differences between competing approaches before the NDAA conference deadline. The House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman and ranking member released separate bills with different frameworks, and the Senate has its own competing legislation — making consensus elusive under the NDAA timeline.
WRDA is a biennial law that authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers to study, design, and construct water infrastructure projects — ports, flood control, inland waterways, and environmental restoration. The opening of the House member priority portal in January is the first formal step in shaping the next WRDA bill.
