NEWS | Small Business is Still Waiting on Spending Certainty, Funding Plan from Congress to Avoid Shutdown

Shutdowns harm small business - NSBA is continuing to urge Congress to choose common sense and compromise in pursuit of a spending plan to fund the government beyond the Jan. 30 deadline.

UPDATE, JAN. 16, 2026 | In a major development on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed a three-bill funding package Thursday, sending the legislation to the president’s desk after an 82-15 vote. The bipartisan package includes funding for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, Interior, Energy, and related agencies, and builds on earlier progress toward full-year appropriations for fiscal 2026.

This action marks halfway to completing the 12 annual spending bills Congress must pass to fully fund the federal government before the Jan. 30 deadline, reducing the risk of another shutdown that could disrupt services and increase uncertainty for small businesses.

While negotiations continue on remaining appropriations, especially for Homeland Security, which remains a sticking point, this Senate vote reflects continued bipartisan effort to keep government operations funded and predictable.

Stable federal funding matters for small businesses in real ways. Government spending bills touch programs that support local economies, workforce development, infrastructure projects, research grants, and small business financing programs. The more appropriations progress, the less risk there is of service disruptions, delayed contracts, or halted support for community and economic development initiatives that many small firms depend on.

NSBA will continue tracking funding negotiations as Congress works to finish the remaining appropriations packages and avert new fiscal disruptions. Stay tuned for updates as these measures move through both chambers.

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JAN. 15, 2026 | This week, the House passed two more government funding measures, continuing its progress toward funding the entire federal government ahead of the Jan. 30 deadline established by last year’s stopgap bill, which brought the most recent government shutdown to an end.

Members voted 341–79 to pass the two bills, which would fund the Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), State Department, Judiciary, and Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The measures are not currently expected to face obstacles in the Senate, as lawmakers voted down several potentially controversial amendments during floor consideration.

With these votes, the House has now passed eight of the 12 annual appropriations bills, signaling momentum, but not certainty, toward avoiding another funding lapse.

The remaining four measures account for nearly 90 percent of all discretionary federal funding, and negotiations remain underway to finalize legislative text. If talks stall, Congress could again turn to a short-term stopgap measure, temporarily extending FY2025 funding levels to buy negotiators more time.

Meanwhile, the Senate is expected to pass its own three-bill “minibus” funding package later today, setting up the next phase of bicameral negotiations.

NSBA is closely monitoring the process, as funding outcomes directly impact small-business priorities, from IRS operations to regulatory enforcement and international trade. Follow us for the latest updates on funding fights from Washington.