When does the new Congress start in 2027? The Jan. 3 date, what a House majority can do, and the Dec. 11 deadline

Short answer: The new Congress starts at noon on Jan. 3, 2027, under the 20th Amendment, unless Congress sets a different day by law. Until then the current Congress keeps working, and it faces the Dec. 11, 2026, end of the stopgap funding law. AP projects Democrats will control both chambers.

By Monsaur Othman · Last updated Nov. 4, 2026

Key facts - The new Congress convenes at noon, Jan. 3, 2027, unless Congress sets another day by law (20th Amendment). - AP projects Democrats will control the House and Senate (AP). Results are unofficial until certified. - Current federal funding ends Dec. 11, 2026, at the latest (P.L. 119-103, sec. 106). - Every bill needs both chambers and the president's signature, or a two-thirds override vote in each chamber (Art. I, sec. 7).

When does the new Congress take office?

The 20th Amendment says the terms of senators and representatives "end at noon on the 3d day of January," and their successors' terms begin then. Section 2 says Congress shall assemble at least once a year, at noon on Jan. 3, "unless they shall by law appoint a different day" (20th Amendment). So the default start is noon Eastern on Jan. 3, 2027, a Sunday. Congress can change that day by passing a law. As of Nov. 4, we found no enacted law setting a different date on the congress.gov list of public laws; we'll update this if one passes.

Who won control of Congress?

The Associated Press projects that Democrats won majorities in both the House and the Senate (AP). AP called the Senate late on Nov. 3 and the House early Nov. 4, Central time (PBS NewsHour live updates with AP calls). These are projections; states still have to count and certify results. Our live results page tracks the calls, and our explainer on when election results are certified covers that step.

What can a House majority do, and what can't it do alone?

The Constitution sets out what one chamber can and can't do by itself:

• Revenue bills start in the House. "All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives," though the Senate may amend them (Art. I, sec. 7).
• No bill becomes law with one chamber alone. A bill must pass both the House and the Senate and go to the president. If the president vetoes it, it becomes law only if two-thirds of each chamber vote to override (Art. I, sec. 7).
• Nominations and treaties go to the Senate. The president appoints judges and other officers "by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate," and treaties need two-thirds of senators present. The House has no vote on either (Art. II, sec. 2).
• Senate rules can require more than a majority. Ending debate on most measures (cloture) takes three-fifths of senators, per the congress.gov glossary. In the House, passing a bill "under suspension of the rules" takes two-thirds of members voting.

A House majority controls which bills move on its floor, but final laws still need the Senate and the president.

What happens before Jan. 3?

The current Congress keeps its full powers until its term ends. A Congress ends with adjournment sine die, a final adjournment without a set day to return, per the congress.gov glossary. Members who lost or retired still serve and vote until noon on Jan. 3 (20th Amendment).

Is the funding deadline really Dec. 11?

Yes. We checked the law itself. Public Law 119-103, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027, was approved Sept. 2, 2026. Section 106 keeps funding available until the earliest of: enactment of the regular appropriations bill covering a program, enactment of a bill funding it without the stopgap, or "December 11, 2026" (P.L. 119-103). A continuing resolution is temporary funding legislation used when regular appropriations haven't been enacted (congress.gov glossary).

As of Nov. 4, the newest public law on congress.gov is P.L. 119-136 (Oct. 22, 2026), and none after P.L. 119-103 is an appropriations law. That means the current Congress, not the incoming one, has to act first. For what the stopgap covers and what a funding lapse means, see our Dec. 11 deadline explainer.

What's still uncertain?

We don't know whether Congress will pass full-year bills, another stopgap or nothing by Dec. 11, or whether it will set a convening date other than Jan. 3. We'll update this page if either happens.

Sources

• AP, "Democrats win US House and Senate," Nov. 2026
• PBS NewsHour live updates with AP race calls, Nov. 3–4, 2026
• U.S. Constitution, 20th Amendment (Constitution Annotated)
• U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 7
• U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 2
• Public Law 119-103 (govinfo PDF)
• Congress.gov, public laws of the 119th Congress
• Congress.gov, glossary of legislative terms

Photo: Architect of the Capitol, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain (cropped to 16:9). The west front of the U.S. Capitol, 1997. File photo.

Drafted with AI assistance from primary sources. Written and edited by The Whole Read newsroom under Monsaur Othman's editorial standards. Read how we use AI, our editorial policy and our corrections policy.