Congress Kickstarts FY 2027 Appropriations Process; DHS Shutdown Continues

As Congress continues to grapple with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) lapse in funding, House Republicans have reportedly left Capitol Hill for their annual retreat. As previously reported, some Members of Congress—including House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL)—are pushing for a second reconciliation package to increase funding for the Department of Defense. Notably, Members on both sides of the aisle have argued against funding the department outside of the normal appropriations bills and, according to recent reports, President Trump may remain unconvinced on the controversial measure. It is likely to be a point of contention during the retreat as House Republicans set their legislative priorities for the year.

Further, on Sunday, President Trump posted on Truth Social, “I, as President, will not sign other Bills until this is passed,” referring to the SAVE Act (H.R. 22), an election reform bill to require identification at polling stations. The bill has already advanced through the House but has yet to be voted on by the Senate, which would require several Senate Democrats to break rank with the party to pass the measure. In response, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) stated, “If Trump is saying he won’t sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: there will be total gridlock in the Senate.”

In preparation for drafting fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations legislation, the House Appropriations Committee has released guidance on submitting programmatic and report language requests for Members. Deadlines for each subcommittee’s requests can be found here. While it remains unclear when the President will release his annual budget request, it is likely that Congress will forge ahead with drafting their appropriations bills regardless of the President’s timeline.

Stay tuned for COSSA’s continued coverage on the appropriations process.