2025 Congressional calendar, key things to know

Congress is on recess until September. Once they return, lawmakers face a limited window of just 14 legislative days to approve funding and avoid a government shutdown before the new fiscal year starts on October 1.

RELATED: Oklahoma delegation stays busy during August recess

Here are key things to know about the 2025 Congressional calendar.

Congress Returns With Just 14 Days to Avert Shutdown

When Congress returns to Washington on September 2, members will have, according to the respective House and Senate calendars, 14 legislative days before the end of the fiscal year; in other words, they will have two full weeks to figure out how to keep the government funded into the start of the new fiscal year, which begins October 1.

Senate Sets Most Workdays in Years

The two chambers, at the direction of their respective majority leaders, set their own work calendars. This year, new Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) called on members to be in session 179 days, significantly more than the 102 days of session in 2024 under the Democratic leadership of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY). That is also more than any year under Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) previous GOP majority, from 2017 to 2020.

House Calendar Remains More Limited

The House, under the leadership of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), scheduled members for 136 days of work for calendar year 2025. The House generally prioritizes efficiency and a numerical majority can expedite legislation, while the Senate's rules and procedures favor deliberation and provide individual Senators with more procedural leverage. This often leads to different approaches to scheduling and the number of days spent in session. 

August Recess Is the Longest Break of the Year

The August work period, four weeks for the Senate, five for the House, is the longest stretch of time during the year that members are away from the Capitol. Members use this time for a variety of purposes, personal as well as work-related. Members will hold town hall meetings, visit with constituent groups, conduct travel for committee business, and more. This August, it's expected that both Republican and Democratic members will make efforts to clarify with constituents what they see as either the benefits or the negative consequences of the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill.

Stopgap Funding Expected, But Uncertain

The amount of time members will have to work in September, most agree, will not be enough in order to pass a full menu of appropriations bills. It is, therefore, assumed that, to avoid a partial shutdown of government agencies, Congress will need to approve a stopgap funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, or continuing resolution. Even this, however, is not a given. All funding measures, including continuing resolutions, would need 60 votes for passage, and thus Democratic support, in the Senate. How willing Democrats will be to help Republican leadership solve their appropriations challenge isn't clear, given how angry many of them are over cuts to programs they support in the OBBB, as well as in the rescissions package.