Introduced
H.R. 7006 arrives to fund the machinery of government with the subtlety of a sledgehammer through a china shop.
Key Changes
- Bill introduced in House
- Referred to Committee on Appropriations and Committee on the Budget
A legislative day only ends when a chamber formally adjourns. If they recess instead, it's still the same "day" — even if weeks pass.
House and Senate each track their own legislative days independently, though both use similar rules.
Record holder:
162 calendar days
Senate "Monday" • Jan 3 – Jun 12, 1980
This matters because many statutory deadlines use "days" without specifying calendar or legislative — letting Congress stretch them indefinitely.
The 2026 Funding Bill That Tries to Budget for Everything at Once
Congress just passed a mega-bill funding literally everything from the Treasury Department to the State Department to the Judiciary—basically the entire machinery of U.S. government minus agriculture and defense—by cramming two of twelve appropriations bills into one legislative Frankenstein. It passed 341-79, which is congressional-speak for "nobody wanted to read this thing, so we all just agreed it probably funds important stuff and moved on."
Why It Matters
This bill controls funding for everything from embassy operations to Treasury enforcement to the federal courts—so whether the IRS can audit anyone, whether the State Department can actually do diplomacy, and whether judges get paid depends on this passing. But the real impact is less about what's *in* it and more about what Congress is *not doing*: properly debating and voting on twelve separate spending bills like it's supposed to, instead just bundling the unpopular stuff together and hoping you don't notice.
No cosponsors on this bill
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subse...
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 992 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 7006 with 1 hour of...
Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 341 - 79 (Roll no. 28).
Received in the Senate.
$158,316
~2 hours of congressional session time at $79,158/hour
(535 members × $174k salary ÷ 147 session days ÷ 8 hours)
Simplified estimate based on salary costs only. Actual costs include staff, facilities, and lost productivity.
Satire notice: Spending figures, pork tracking, and editorial commentary below are satirical estimates for entertainment purposes. They are not official government cost analyses. Legislative history and vote records are real — verify at Congress.gov .
Satirical estimate for entertainment purposes
See how this bill transformed through 4 stages of the legislative process.
Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026This bill provides FY2026 appropriations to several federal departments and agencies for activities and programs related to financial services, general government, national security, the administration of foreign affairs, and foreign assistance. Specifically, the bill includes 2 of the 12 regular FY2026 appropriations bills: (1) the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2026; and (2) the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026.The departments, agencies, and activities funded in the bill includethe Department of the Treasury,the Executive Office of the President,the judiciary,the District of Columbia, the Department of State and related programs,the administration and oversight of foreign assistance programs, bilateral economic assistance,international security assistance,multilateral assistance, export and investment assistance, andseveral related and independent agencies.The bill also sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.
Read full summary on Congress.govAn amendment numbered 2 printed in House Report 119-445 to prohibit funding for the National Endowment for Democracy.
An amendment numbered 1 printed in House Report 119-445 to reduce the District of Columbia District and Appeals Court funding by 20% and to strike the salary and expense funding for Judges Boasberg an
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026
Related billNational Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026
Related billFinancial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2026
Related billProviding for consideration of the bill (H.R. 7006) making further consolidated appropriations for t
Procedurally relatedFinancial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2026
Related billH.R. 7006 had the legislative equivalent of a speed run. It moved through the House on January 14th like a appropriations bill possessed, bouncing from Committee of the Whole to passage (341–79) in what appears to have been a single day of consideration. The Senate received it on January 15th, which is the legislative equivalent of catching a football someone just threw at your face. As of now, it’s sitting in the Senate waiting to see if anyone actually reads the thing before voting.
This bill is essentially a legislative kitchen sink—it’s actually two separate appropriations bills crammed together because apparently efficiency means “just combine them.” We’re talking about funding for:
The bill also sets spending rules and restrictions for how agencies can actually use their money—basically the legislative equivalent of handing someone a check and a 47-page instruction manual.
Buried in here are “requirements and restrictions” on fund usage across multiple appropriations acts. Translation: there are almost certainly carve-outs, earmarks, and conditions that benefit specific districts or programs, but the CRS summary isn’t telling us what they are. You’d need to actually read the full text to find out what your representative slipped in for their donors.
Source: Real bill from the 119th Congress. View on Congress.gov.
Disclaimer: The absurdity score and editorial commentary above represent this site’s opinion. Bill details should be verified at Congress.gov.
This page is satirical commentary by AbsurdityIndex.org. Legislative history comes from public congressional records; spending estimates and "pork" figures are editorial and may not reflect official cost analyses. Absurdity scores are subjective editorial ratings. Verify all claims at Congress.gov
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