Trump celebrates major legislative win as Congress shifts focus to 2026 budget battle

After President Donald Trump signed what he calls his "one big beautiful bill" into law this week, attention in Washington is already turning toward the next political challenge: passing a federal budget for fiscal year 2026.

Despite the celebratory mood at the White House, lawmakers face a tight deadline. With less than three months left in the fiscal year, members of Congress are expected to begin budget negotiations in earnest next week. Representative Tom Cole, a senior appropriator from Oklahoma, has been working on the budget for months, but both chambers of Congress are not equally prepared. While the House has made significant progress on appropriations, the Senate is far behind, making a short-term continuing resolution almost inevitable to keep the government running past September 30.

Lawmakers must pass and reconcile all 12 appropriations bills to avoid a government shutdown, but the likelihood of completing that process in time is slim. These spending bills will require 60 votes to pass in the Senate, setting the stage for a more bipartisan tone compared to the recent partisan reconciliation process that enabled the passage of the President's signature legislation.

One major element of the recent legislation that flew under the radar was the raising of the debt ceiling by $5 trillion, an essential but quietly executed provision. At the same time, a proposed recissions package from the White House is expected to spark fresh debate on Capitol Hill. The package calls for eliminating around $10 billion in unspent funds, including substantial cuts to public broadcasting networks such as NPR and PBS.

Recission requests have been used by both parties in the past to claw back allocated but unspent federal dollars. This latest move could become a flashpoint in upcoming negotiations as Republicans look to trim spending and Democrats seek to protect social and cultural programs.

With Congress returning from the holiday weekend, the legislative and political calendar will now turn toward funding the government, potential fights over spending priorities and the early stages of the 2026 campaign cycle.