Lame-Duck Congress Returns November 9 After Election
Lawmakers who lost their races on November 3 keep their seats and salaries until the new Congress is sworn in January 3, 2027.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Legislative Policy
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Members of Congress who lost their races on November 3, 2026 remain in office until January 3, 2027, with the same votes and $174,000 annual salaries. Congress is scheduled to return to Washington on November 9 for a lame-duck session expected to last until Christmas.
Why it matters
Lame-duck sessions give outgoing lawmakers a window to pass legislation before the composition of Congress changes, and this session faces a December 11 federal funding deadline. Congressional leaders have also signaled that a debt-limit increase could be taken up in the same period.
Congressional salaries are $174,000 a year, or $14,500 monthly, and have not risen since January 2009 when a 2.8% increase took effect. Between 2000 and 2022, 10 of 12 lame-duck sessions approved spending bills, but this year's outcome remains unknown.
The players
John Thune
Senate Majority Leader who has said a debt-limit increase could come during the lame-duck session.
The details
Lame-duck sessions are the meetings held between a November election and January 3, when the outgoing Congress continues to govern. Members who retired or lost their races cast votes alongside sitting colleagues, and the 20th Amendment sets the term end at noon on January 3 of odd-numbered years.
Timeline
November 3, 2026: Election Day; members lose their races.
November 9, 2026: Congress returns to Washington for the lame-duck session.
December 11, 2026: Federal funding expires without spending bills or a stopgap.
January 3, 2027: Newly elected Congress is sworn in and outgoing terms end.
Legislative Context
The 2018 lame-duck session passed the First Step Act and the 2022 session produced the Respect for Marriage Act, both showing that post-election sessions can deliver major legislation. The 1998 lame-duck session, by contrast, was used by the House to impeach President Bill Clinton.
Federal employees, contractors, and anyone relying on federal programs face uncertainty if spending bills are not passed before December 11. The outcome of the lame-duck session will shape federal funding levels heading into 2027.
The takeaway
Lame-duck sessions often produce consequential legislation, so watching the agenda before the December 11 funding deadline is worth the attention of anyone affected by federal policy.
What happens next
Congress is expected to return November 9 and hold a session until Christmas, with a debt-limit increase possibly taken up before a 2027 borrowing limit.
Further reading
Explore more on Legislative Policy as Congress prepares for its post-election session.
Source note: This article includes information reported by El Cronista.
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Should members of Congress who lost their reelection bids keep voting and being paid until January?
