Will the Senate pass its first fiscal 2027 appropriations bill before the Aug 8 recess?

The Senate left for its August recess on Aug. 8, 2026, without passing any of its 12 annual fiscal 2027 appropriations bills. Senate Appropriations Committee leaders, Chair Susan Collins of Maine and Vice Chair Patty Murray of Washington, remained deadlocked over topline spending levels, with Collins pushing for a larger defense-spending increase and Murray seeking more parity between defense and non-defense accounts. That stalemate kept the committee from advancing its own spending bills over the summer. Rather than a full-year bill, the Senate instead passed a continuing resolution, 90-6, that extends current funding levels through Dec. 11, giving appropriators roughly 10 additional weeks to negotiate full bills before the government would otherwise face a shutdown. The stopgap still needed House approval before it could reach President Trump's desk. Senate leaders framed the measure as a way to avoid a shutdown fight closer to the November midterms while punting the harder appropriations work until after the break. Predict Six's community largely anticipated this outcome, with only 33% predicting a first fiscal 2027 bill would pass before recess.