Congress has a list of unfinished work during the lame duck session, the period between the election of a new Congress and the start of its term, including a Dec. 11 government funding deadline.

The session follows the 2026 midterm elections, which came to a head on Election Day, Nov. 3.

Top of the agenda: the stopgap funding bill passed earlier this year to keep the government open through Election Day, which expires Dec. 11. A government shutdown is possible before the holidays if lawmakers cannot agree on a spending package.