What Happens After the 2026 Midterms: Key Dates

Published November 5, 2026. Results are unofficial until each state certifies them, and figures may change as counting continues.

Short answer: the 120th Congress is scheduled to convene on January 3, 2027. Until then, the current Republican-led Congress stays in office and returns for a “lame-duck” session. President Trump’s term continues through January 2029, so he will share power with a Democratic Congress for his final two years.

Timeline

The January 3 date comes from the 20th Amendment, which ends congressional terms at noon that day and lets Congress set a different start date for its session by law.

What the lame-duck Congress has to do

The main deadline is government funding. The current stopgap expires on December 11, and Akin Gump outlines three options: pass full-year bills, pass another short extension into early 2027, or combine the two. A funding lapse beginning December 12 remains possible.

Lawmakers also have the annual defense authorization bill to finish. Other items could include permitting reform, college sports legislation, the Farm Bill and farm aid. Senate Republicans are also likely to push pending nominations through while they still have the majority.

Who will lead Congress?

What a Democratic Congress can do

• Investigate. Committee chairs gain power over hearings and subpoenas. Rep. Robert Garcia is set to lead the House Oversight Committee, and Senate Democrats have already sent document preservation letters.
• Control the calendar. The majority decides which bills and hearings get time on the floor.
• Reject nominees. A Democratic Senate can decline to confirm Trump’s judges and executive-branch nominees.
• Use spending leverage. Funding bills need to pass both chambers before the president signs them.

What it can’t do alone

• Override a veto. That takes two-thirds of both chambers, far more than Democrats won.
• Pass most bills without Republican senators. Most Senate legislation still faces a 60-vote threshold, and even 56 seats falls short.
• Remove a president by itself. The House can impeach by majority, but conviction takes two-thirds of the senators present.

CNN notes these limits mean Democrats are very unlikely to pass much of their preferred agenda while Trump holds the veto. According to CNN’s account of his comments to The New York Times, Trump said he will accept the results.

What this means for you

Your current senators and representative still serve you through January 3, 2027, and they are the right offices to contact about casework until then. You can find them in our House and Senate directories. See the latest election results.