After Congress chose not to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies before adjourning for the holidays, the House returned to Washington and passed a three-year extension after several moderate Republicans joined Democrats in signing a discharge petition last month to force the House GOP leadership to bring the Democrat proposal to a vote. The bill now heads to the Senate, where bipartisan reforms are expected to be made to the bill to secure the necessary 60 votes for passage.
Also high on Congress’s agenda is passing the remaining fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills to avoid another government shutdown at the end of the month. While last fall’s agreement to reopen the government funded several agencies through the end of FY 2026, funding for others, including HHS, was extended only through Jan. 30.
