Congress Heads Into Year-End With Funding and Health Care Unresolved

Information provided to members by OGR.

As Congress enters its final legislative week of 2025, lawmakers are racing to close out a crowded agenda before adjourning for the holiday recess. While progress is being made on several fronts, major questions around government funding and health care policy are likely to spill into the new year.

Following the Thanksgiving break, Congress returned to Washington with four core priorities: government funding, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidy extensions, and a package of executive branch nominations. Of those, the NDAA is on track for final Senate approval, and a broad nominations package is expected to clear later this week. Efforts to advance FY 2026 appropriations, however, remain stalled, with negotiations over top-line funding levels continuing behind the scenes. As a result, meaningful action on government funding is now expected in January.

Health care has emerged as the most significant unresolved issue of the year. The Senate failed to advance an ACA subsidy extension, and a complex House deal aimed at broader reform collapsed over the weekend. The setback highlights ongoing challenges for Republican leadership as they attempt to balance moderate demands with resistance from conservative members, particularly in the absence of clear policy direction from the White House.

At the same time, the administration remains focused on pressing global and domestic matters. Foreign policy challenges, including the war in Ukraine and rising tensions involving Venezuela, continue to command attention. Federal agencies are also working through implementation rules for the recently passed reconciliation bill, while the Office of Management and Budget moves forward with preparations for the President’s FY 2027 budget, expected in February.

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