With midterm elections set for early November 2026, Congress faces a compressed timeline for advancing appropriations bills, continuing resolutions, and other must-pass measures before year-end adjournment. Unified or divided control of the House and Senate, combined with the administration's legislative priorities, directly influences which proposals can secure floor votes, overcome potential filibusters, or move via reconciliation. Recent committee action and leadership negotiations on spending packages and policy riders have shaped trader views on passage odds ahead of the post-election lame-duck period, when additional procedural windows may open or close depending on election results.