With the looming deadline, government operations are on the brink of shutting down at the stroke of midnight next Saturday, unless an unexpected budget deal emerges this week. Lawmakers, who have struggled for months to find common ground, must reach an agreement on extending the current federal budget to avert the impending crisis.

The fiscal year is scheduled to conclude on September 30, bringing an end to the budget plan that sustains nearly all federal operations. Despite numerous debates and negotiations, both between Democrats and Republicans and within the House GOP caucus, no viable plans have emerged to prevent a potential appropriations lapse.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, have committed to collaborative efforts aimed at securing a budget deal in the coming days. However, they have also exchanged criticisms, each accusing the other of hindering progress.

If a government shutdown occurs next week, it would be the first to affect all federal agencies since 2013. During that period, approximately 850,000 federal workers, constituting about 40% of the government workforce, were furloughed for 16 days as a result of a congressional dispute.

In the midst of this fiscal uncertainty, here is a schedule of key legislative activities for the upcoming week:

Tuesday, September 26

• House Veterans’ Affairs — 3 p.m. — 360 Cannon
  • VA online services
  • Department officials will provide testimony on recently identified issues with VA’s online claims filing systems.

Wednesday, September 27

• House Armed Services — 10 a.m. — 2118 Rayburn
  • Military Housing
  • Service officials will testify on challenges related to military housing and plans for improvements.
• Senate Homeland Security — 11 a.m. — 562 Dirksen
  • Nominations
  • The committee will review several pending nominations.
• House Foreign Affairs — 2 p.m. — Visitors Center H210
  • South Africa
  • External experts will offer testimony on the relationship between South Africa and the United States.

Thursday, September 28

• Senate Armed Services — 9:30 a.m. — G-50 Dirksen
  • Nominations
  • The committee will consider the nominations of Derek Chollet for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and Cara Abercrombie for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition.
• House Veterans’ Affairs — 10 a.m. — 360 Cannon
  • VA’s Fiduciary Program
  • Department officials will testify on the management of veterans’ benefits through the VA Fiduciary Program.
• House Foreign Affairs — 10 a.m. — Visitors Center H210
  • Military Force Authorities
  • State Department officials will provide testimony on potential revisions to existing authorizations for the use of military force worldwide.
• House Armed Services — 10 a.m. — 2118 Rayburn
  • Space Command Basing
  • Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall III, Space Command head Gen. James Dickinson, and Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman will testify on the decision-making process regarding the future site of Space Command.
• House Foreign Affairs — 2 p.m. — 2200 Rayburn
  • China
  • Officials from the Defense Department and Coast Guard will testify on Chinese activities in the South China Sea.