Lame-Duck Session “Not the Time to Whip Out National Credit Card”

(Arlington, Va. – Nov. 9, 2026) Americans showed up and voted. Now Congress needs to do its job.

Election Day settled who will serve in the next Congress. It did not erase the nation’s fiscal challenges or relieve the current Congress of its responsibility to govern. As lawmakers return for the lame-duck session, Concord Action is calling on both parties to address unfinished fiscal business and lay the groundwork for responsible budgeting in the years ahead.

Dr. Carolyn Bourdeaux, Executive Director of Concord Action and the Concord Coalition, issued the following statement:

“The American people expect their elected leaders to address the cost of living and restore regular order in Washington. In its remaining weeks, this Congress has an opportunity—and an obligation—to begin rebuilding a culture of fiscal responsibility. Sound budgeting that reduces our deficit is essential to lasting affordability, a vibrant economy and public confidence in our government.”

“With $40 trillion in debt and annual deficits averaging over $2 trillion projected over the next decade, Congress cannot keep reaching for the national credit card. Lawmakers must restore guardrails to the budget process, hold themselves accountable for meeting their responsibilities and establish a credible, bipartisan process for confronting the debt.”

Concord Action is calling on the lame-duck Congress to take three steps before handing the keys to the next Congress:

• Pass the Fiscal Commission Act: Whether as stand-alone legislation or part of a broader agreement, establish a bipartisan commission charged with developing a credible plan to address the nation’s long-term debt, with expedited congressional consideration of its recommendations.
• Restore the Conrad Rule: Reinstate the rule prohibiting reconciliation legislation from increasing deficits over the budget window, and fully offset the cost of any reconciliation package. Named for former U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota, the rule was in place from 2007 until its repeal in 2015.
• Adopt No Budget, No Pay: Establish meaningful consequences when Congress fails to fulfill its budget responsibilities. Lawmakers’ pay should depend on completing the budget work the American people sent them to Washington to do.

The next Congress will inherit the consequences of the decisions lawmakers make today. Concord Action will continue pressing leaders in both parties to put the federal budget on a sustainable path and uphold their responsibility to current and future generations.