Approximately how many total FY26 appropriations bills were finalized when the House passed its amended package 217-214 in February 2026?

The United States federal government operates on an annual budget, which is funded through a series of appropriations bills passed by Congress. Typically, there are twelve distinct appropriations bills that must be passed each fiscal year to fund various federal agencies and avoid a government shutdown. These bills allocate discretionary spending for everything from national defense to education and healthcare, and the process involves extensive hearings, debate, and negotiation between the House and Senate.

In February 2026, the House of Representatives took a significant step in this process by passing an amended package of appropriations bills with a narrow vote of 217-214. This vote was crucial because it finalized eleven of the twelve Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills, providing full-year funding for numerous government departments including Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. This action followed a brief partial government shutdown, which was triggered because the Senate had previously modified a package of bills, necessitating further House action.

However, one critical bill remained outstanding: the appropriation for the Department of Homeland (Review) Security (DHS). Lawmakers faced a deadline of February 13 to reach a bipartisan agreement on DHS funding, but negotiations stalled due to disagreements. Senate Democrats proposed a full-year package for DHS that included new guardrails on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, which Republican leadership opposed, thereby halting progress and preventing the finalization of all twelve bills. This impasse meant that while much of the government was funded, the DHS faced a lapse in full appropriations, leading to uncertainty for agencies like FEMA, TSA, and the Coast Guard.