Bernie Moreno Says Republicans Will Push a Reconciliation Bill in the Lame Duck

Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno has said Republicans will pass a third reconciliation bill during the lame-duck session of Congress that follows the November 3 midterm elections, regardless of the outcome. Moreno told reporters last week that the party "will do a reconciliation bill. One way or the other, we will." His remarks come as Republican leaders face a crowded agenda and growing doubts about how much can be done before the end of the year.

A crowded lame-duck agenda

Republican leaders plan to fund the government, address the debt ceiling and move a must-pass defense authorization bill during the lame-duck period. Funding is set to expire on December 11, according to NOTUS reporting. Members are also discussing a wider wish list that could include permitting reform, new limits on children's use of social media, transportation reauthorization, renewal of a surveillance program, and more money for farmers and the Pentagon.

The list is especially long if Republicans lose control of one or both chambers. A senior Senate Republican aide told The Washington Sun that the party's ambitions are "definitely going to be bigger than what our stomach can hold on this one."

Doubts inside the party

Moreno's view is not shared across the party. Senate Republicans were unable to start a third reconciliation bill before the election because they lacked the votes to begin the process. House Republicans narrowly approved an outline, but the effort stalled, and it is unclear whether that will change when lawmakers return after the midterms.

Asked about Moreno's confidence, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, a member of party leadership, said she was not ready to make that prediction. The senior aide also said they did not think another party-line bill would happen, citing limited time on the calendar. Capito said that lawmakers still have plenty of legislative work to do without a reconciliation bill, and noted that such bills take a lot of time.

Funding, the debt ceiling and what comes next

The first priority is funding the government for fiscal 2027. Many lawmakers want to pass as many appropriations bills as possible before the end of the year. The expectation, according to reporting, is that Congress will rely on a continuing resolution to keep the remaining agencies and programs funded until mid-March, rather than a year-long measure.

Top Republicans have indicated they are open to raising the debt ceiling through a reconciliation package, which would remove it as a negotiating point if Democrats win one or both chambers. If it is not handled in the lame duck, it would likely need to be raised in the first half of 2027 on a bipartisan basis. Some members say the votes may not be there without spending cuts to offset the increase.

Puck and Newser have also reported on the Republican lame-duck agenda. Capito said the outcome of the election may give Congress the push it needs, but she added that she did not know if it would. For now, the party's plans for a third reconciliation bill remain uncertain, and no final decision has been announced.

What we know so far: Moreno says a reconciliation bill will move after the midterms. Other Republican leaders doubt it can pass in time, and the government's December 11 funding deadline will shape what Congress can do.