On the Hill: Government Funding and EPTCs Still a Focal Point on the Hill

Congress faces a fast-approaching deadline to fund the federal government… again. In late November, lawmakers enacted three of the 12 annual appropriations bills and a continuing resolution for the remainder, leaving nine still outstanding with an end of January deadline. While funding for the Food and Drug Administration has been finalized, the Labor-HHS bill-and the remaining health care-related appropriations-have yet to be enacted for fiscal year 2026.

The House has passed a package of three of the outstanding nine appropriations bills with bipartisan support, including Commerce-Justice-Science, Interior-Environment, and Energy and Water. The Senate is now taking those up, with that minibus appearing to be on track for enactment. Attention will then turn to the remaining six bills as lawmakers work toward the Jan. 30 deadline.

EPTCs

On Jan. 8, seventeen house Republicans voted for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' three-year extension of enhanced premium tax subsidies (EPTC); notably, several Republican members of Congress who had previously remained quiet on the issue bucked party leadership to vote in favor of the extension. Now Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) must navigate differing views within his caucus. A bipartisan group of senators is reportedly exploring a potential compromise, with discussions rumored to be led by Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio).

Hearing Recaps

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing to examine several legislative proposals aimed at supporting patient access to Medicare services. Republicans emphasized that the bills under consideration would address reimbursement methodologies, improve data transparency, and help stabilize providers to better align Medicare payment with current care delivery models. Democrats acknowledged the value of the bills under discussion but criticized the failure to extend EPTCs and recent cuts to health care; members argued that rising premiums, Medicare Advantage practices, and potential coverage losses pose significant risks to patient access and should be addressed alongside narrower, Medicare-focused legislative proposals.

Committee Activity This Week

The House and Senate are in session Monday through Thursday this week, with the Senate also convening on Friday.

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will hold an executive session on Thursday, Jan. 15, at 10 am ET, to consider several pieces of legislation, including S. 2169 - a rural hospital cybersecurity bill.

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