ADVOCACY & POLICY UPDATE - January 26, 2026

House Passes Labor-HHS-Education Bill; Partial Shutdown Threat Increases

Appropriations

On Thursday, January 22, by a vote of 341-88, the House approved its final slate of FY26 funding bills — passing a three-bill minibus package that funds the departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, and other related agencies; Defense; Transportation; and Housing and Urban Development. The final four measures now go to the Senate as the House leaves Washington for recess. 

The most contentious measure, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill, passed on a separate vote of 220-207 with Democratic leaders opposing the bill amid tensions over recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions. Many Democrats felt the bill didn’t go far enough in reining in ICE and demanded tougher oversight and conduct standards for ICE officers to be included in the measure. While it did include a few targeted reforms, such as $115 million reduction in funding for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, a decrease of 5,500 ICE detention beds, and a $1.8 billion cut in Border Patrol funding, many Democrats felt more must be done.

The four bills will be combined into a two-bill minibus approved earlier to create a six-bill measure funding most federal operations through the end of the fiscal year. Senate leaders had planned to consider the consolidated package on an expedited timeline, aiming for final passage and submission to President Trump by Friday, though weather-related delays could affect scheduling. Senate passage will require bipartisan support and, with at least one Republican opposing the package, Democratic votes will be needed to clear procedural hurdles. Several Senate Democrats have signaled opposition over concerns related to immigration enforcement and the Homeland Security funding component, which would require voting against the entire combined measure to register their objections.

On Saturday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Democrats will not vote to advance the spending legislation if DHS funding is included, raising the chance of a partial shutdown of the government on Friday at midnight. On Sunday he called on Republicans to pass the parts of the package that fund other agencies and to work with Democrats on “overhauling ICE and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to protect the public.”

Click here to access a chart of FY26 workforce funding.

Click here to access the full press release and more information on the bills.

Click here to access the full bill text.

Louisiana Senate Race

Republican Congresswoman Julia Letlow (LA) has entered the U.S. Senate race, challenging incumbent Senator Bill Cassidy (LA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Her announcement emphasized children and education policy, framing her candidacy around parental involvement and changes to the education system. Currently, Letlow serves on the House Education and Workforce Committee and is Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. Her background includes professional roles at the University of Louisiana Monroe and Tulane University School of Medicine.

In Congress, Letlow has been a leading advocate of the Parents Bill of Rights, a major House Republican initiative that sought to expand parental access to information about school curricula, student privacy protections, teacher-parent engagement, and school budget transparency, with enforcement mechanisms for noncompliant districts. Her entry into the race follows a public endorsement from President Donald Trump. Cassidy, a two-term senator, acknowledged that Letlow informed him of her decision prior to the announcement and indicated he plans to seek re-election.