Overview
- The stopgap measure funds the government through Jan. 30, reverses shutdown-era federal worker firings with guaranteed back pay, and adds a provision letting senators sue over warrantless searches of electronic records.
- The bill excludes the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, and CBO and KFF warn premiums could more than double in 2026 with millions at risk of losing coverage, while a permanent extension is estimated to cost about $350 billion over 10 years.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune pledged a mid-December vote on a Democratic bill to extend the credits, which will need 60 votes to clear a filibuster.
- House Republican leaders declined to commit to bringing any ACA subsidy extension to the floor, leaving the legislative path uncertain.
- Republicans are advancing alternatives such as directing funds to Health Savings Accounts and seeking income and abortion-related restrictions, proposals Democrats reject as unacceptable.