Congress Returns: Progress on Spending Bills to Avoid Shutdown, ACA Vote Ahead

Congress returns with the holidays in the rear-view mirror, and the to-do list in 2026 is already loaded.

Swirling around on Capitol Hill: reaching a deal to fund the government by January 30 or face a partial government shutdown, debating whether to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies which have now expired, and a slew of other issues, including Congressional briefings and hearings on the U.S. military action in Venezuela.

Also, President Trump is meeting with Congressional Republicans to discuss agenda and strategy on all these issues, with the midterm elections coming up later this year. 

Funding Progress

On funding, just three of the 12 bills have been signed into a law, but progress is being made on the remaining nine. 

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees released a “minibus” of three additional spending bills for fiscal year (FY) 2026, funding the Commerce-Justice-Science, Interior and Energy and Water spending bills. 

Notably, the bills would prohibit covered agencies from using congressional funds to carry out most agency reorganization activities until they provide advanced notice to appropriators. Prohibited activities include unilaterally reprogramming funds to create or eliminate programs, unilaterally relocating employees, or unilaterally cutting more than five percent of employees that support a certain program. 

Covered agencies include the Departments of Justice, Energy, Interior, Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and others. 

The minibus is expected to face a vote before the full House on Thursday where it is expected to pass. 

Negotiators though must still hammer out agreements on six other spending bills, and some lawmakers say a continuing resolution may be necessary. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is hopeful of avoiding a repeat shutdown. 

“Democrats want to fund the appropriations, the spending bills, all the way through 2026,” said Senator Schumer. “We want to work in a bicameral, bipartisan way to do it and the good news is our Republican appropriators are working with us.” 

ACA Subsidies Extension

On extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, four House Republicans are joining with Democrats to back a discharge petition to force a vote on extending the subsidies. It is expected to pass the House and head to the Senate, where it will likely need bipartisan reform to get the necessary 60 votes to advance. 

‘If there are reforms and both sides sit down and agree on what that looks like and then there’s a transition that gives people the option of putting money into a [health savings account] … then there could be a path forward,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).