Senate leaders on Sunday circulated the text of two of three appropriations bills intended to form a narrow minibus aimed at ending a government shutdown that has stretched into its 40th day. The released measures would fund programs at the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, veterans’ benefits and services, and Defense Department military construction projects through the 2026 fiscal year.

The legislation, as drafted, extends funding for the covered agencies and programs through September 2026, offering relief to constituencies that have experienced mounting strain during the shutdown. Funding for USDA and FDA activities is particularly consequential for agricultural producers, food safety inspections and regulatory processes that underpin both domestic markets and international trade flows. The veterans provisions are designed to sustain benefits and programs that many advocates warned could suffer if the impasse persisted.

The third element of the minibus — a bill to fund the operations of Congress through the remainder of the current fiscal year — remained in flux Sunday, with negotiators continuing to carve language and reconcile competing demands. That unfinished measure is central to the package’s overall viability: without it, lawmakers could face procedural obstacles to reopening government, and members whose pay and offices remain unfunded may press for a swift resolution.

The release of text represents a tactical step by Senate leadership to produce a concrete bargaining position ahead of a possible weekend vote. The narrow scope of the minibus reflects a recognition among some Capitol Hill lawmakers that smaller, targeted funding packages stand a better chance of attracting bipartisan support than an all-encompassing omnibus after a protracted standoff. However, moving the minibus into law will require not only final negotiated language but also sufficient votes in both chambers to overcome procedural hurdles and any intra-party opposition.

Beyond immediate domestic consequences, the shutdown’s persistence has broader geopolitical and economic ripple effects. Delays in USDA export inspections and regulatory reviews at the FDA can disrupt trading partners and global supply chains, while uncertainty about U.S. budgetary processes complicates planning for allied militaries and international firms that contract with federal agencies. Prolonged disruption also carries reputational costs for the United States as a reliable interlocutor on regulatory and security matters.

For veterans and military infrastructure, the timing of funds for fiscal 2026 matters for ongoing construction schedules and for the delivery of benefits and care. Contractors and hospitals that serve veterans have already signaled strain during the shutdown, and a temporary resolution that secures funding through next September would provide at least near-term stability.

Senate negotiators indicated the weekend would be pivotal, with the hope that publication of the bill texts could spur momentum. But even if the three-bill minibus is completed and passed in the upper chamber, the path to full government reopening remains contingent on House action and the ability of leaders to bridge remaining policy and political disputes.