# Congress Weighs December Shutdown Risk

As of November 6, 2026, federal employees and other commenters remain divided over whether Congress will enact a continuing resolution (CR) or whether a funding lapse could occur in December. The discussions describe possible short-term CRs that shift negotiations into 2027, as well as agency leadership reportedly preparing for a lapse; cited prediction-market estimates point in opposite directions, so they do not establish a settled forecast. No specific procurement or contract award is identified, but commenters report that some contractor personnel cannot work during shutdowns, potentially interrupting services and shifting workload to government staff.

- Contractors supporting services that may stop during a lapse should account for possible work stoppages and schedule disruption in staffing and delivery planning.
- Federal procurement teams may need to use agency contingency guidance to assess which supported functions could continue and where contractor support may be interrupted.
- Congress’s unresolved appropriations and CR decisions create uncertainty for federal operations and funding actions; the signals identify ICE funding as a point of discussion but do not establish the status of its funding.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Topics:** Grants & Funding
**Published:** November 05, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Congress (Congress)
- U.S. House of Representatives (House)
- U.S. Senate (Senate)
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

### Key Quotes
> ICE is funded without an annual appropriation for the rest of Trump's term if I recall. Republicans anticipated this situation, so they funded them through reconciliation.
> — Commenter

> I also have to work during shutdowns and it’s a lot of work because the contract service we use can’t work during the shutdowns.
> — Community commenter

> I’m pretty close to the flagpole, and my leadership seems to be getting ready for one. That is all based on actions, not words.
> — Commenter (close to leadership)

### Sources
- [With the election results, do the odds of a December shutdown go down or up?](https://www.reddit.com/r/FedEmployees/comments/1xnxydb/with_the_election_results_do_the_odds_of_a) - reddit-fedemployees
- [Looking forward to a shutdown](https://www.reddit.com/r/FedEmployees/comments/1xowap1/looking_forward_to_a_shutdown) - reddit-fedemployees
- [Government Shutdown Thoughts](https://www.reddit.com/r/FedEmployees/comments/1xol4l7/government_shutdown_thoughts) - reddit-fedemployees