The extension would give the Senate plenty of time to begin confirming Trump's Cabinet nominees and the House time to plot out maneuvers on tax legislation.
Government funding, disaster relief and energy permitting could all be complicated by year-end partisan angling.
Government spending, leadership elections, and disaster funding are among the top priorities for lawmakers with less than two months left of the 118th Congress.
One of Iowa's U.S. Senators believes Tuesday's election outcome could impact how quickly a new funding package is tackled.