What has happened in Lame Duck Congress

The period from an election until the new Congress is sworn in is known as the Lame Duck. During the Lame Duck, the party that lost the election rushes to pass bills and confirm nominees. This year, since the Democrats will retain the Senate, the focus has been mostly on funding the government and passing bills the new Republican House majority are unlikely to pass.

What has passed
Fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget. A major focus for the Lame Duck is passage of a federal budget because the second continuing resolution expires on Friday, December 23. On Wednesday, December 14, 2022, an agreement was reached on a “framework” to fund the government for fiscal year (FY) 2023. Congress has agreed to a one-week stopgap spending bill to extend the current funding deadline to hash out specific spending levels for each federal agency and determine what additional legislative items will be attached to the bill.