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The House voted to retain the first section of a major spending bill, which provides funding for the Departments of Commerce and Justice and various scientific agencies for the 2026 fiscal year.
This vote focused on "Division A" of H.R. 6938, a large legislative package that funds several different parts of the federal government. Division A specifically covers the budgets for the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, and scientific agencies like NASA. It includes money for programs that enforce trade laws, regulate sensitive exports for national security, and support local economic development. In the House of Representatives, when a bill is very large and contains multiple distinct parts, members sometimes vote on whether to keep specific sections (divisions) before voting on the bill as a whole. This ensures that each major portion of the spending plan has enough support to move forward. The motion passed with a large bipartisan majority, meaning the funding for these specific agencies remained part of the bill. This was a necessary step before the House could hold a final vote to pass the entire package and send it to the Senate. Because the bill eventually became law, this vote was essential for maintaining the operations of these government departments.
Following this vote, the House proceeded to vote on other sections of the bill and then held a final vote on whether to pass the entire spending package.
OPEN BILL →Why it matters. This vote was a critical hurdle in the annual budget process, ensuring that major federal agencies responsible for law enforcement and scientific research remained funded.
Who’s affected. Federal Law Enforcement: Secures the budget for the Department of Justice and its various investigative and legal divisions. · Science and Research Agencies: Provides funding for NASA and other scientific organizations to continue their research and exploration missions. · U.S. Businesses: Funds trade enforcement and export controls that protect American intellectual property and market competitiveness.
Democrats. Democrats were nearly unanimous in their support, with 96 members voting in favor and only 3 voting against.
Republicans. A large majority of Republicans supported the measure, though a small group of 18 members opposed it.
On Retaining Division A
Jan 8, 2026
The House voted to retain the first section of a major spending bill, which provides funding for the Departments of Commerce and Justice and various scientific agencies for the 2026 fiscal year.
This was a procedural vote to decide whether to keep a specific section of a multi-part spending bill. By voting 'yes,' the House agreed to include the commerce, justice, and science funding in the final version of the legislation.
Following this vote, the House proceeded to vote on other sections of the bill and then held a final vote on whether to pass the entire spending package.
This vote was a critical hurdle in the annual budget process, ensuring that major federal agencies responsible for law enforcement and scientific research remained funded.
The vote saw broad bipartisan support, with the vast majority of both Democrats and Republicans voting to keep the funding section in the bill.
Democrats were nearly unanimous in their support, with 96 members voting in favor and only 3 voting against.
A large majority of Republicans supported the measure, though a small group of 18 members opposed it.
The one independent member present voted in favor of retaining the section.