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With the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2025, the nation
faces another government shutdown. Democrats in Congress have introduced a
continuing resolution to keep the government funded through October 31,
2025, while addressing urgent policy priorities. We support this plan
because it protects healthcare, safeguards oversight of federal spending, and
prevents unnecessary disruption to families and essential services.
The most pressing issue is healthcare. The Democratic plan makes permanent the
enhanced
Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that were expanded during the
pandemic. These subsidies have allowed millions of Americans to afford coverage,
often lowering premiums by hundreds of dollars per month. Without action, the
credits will expire just as ACA enrollment for 2026 coverage begins on November
1, 2025, and runs through January 15, 2026, in most states. That leaves only a
one-month gap between the September 30 shutdown deadline and the start of
enrollment, meaning Congress must act quickly to prevent families from facing
premium spikes or losing coverage options during the enrollment period.
Adding to the urgency, federal regulators have already proposed shortening the
ACA enrollment window in future years, moving the deadline to December 15,
beginning with coverage for 2027. That shift will give families even less time
to shop for affordable insurance, making it all the more important to stabilize
the system now. Failure to extend ACA subsidies in this continuing resolution
could throw the 2026 enrollment period into chaos and create lasting damage
heading into a shorter enrollment season the following year.
The proposal also reverses scheduled cuts to Medicaid, which would otherwise
force states to reduce benefits or shift costs onto low-income families.
Combined with expiring ACA subsidies, these cuts could push millions out of the
healthcare system altogether. Given that open enrollment is just weeks away—and
that deadlines will only get tighter in the coming years—resolving these issues
immediately is essential.
Beyond healthcare, the plan strengthens Congress’s authority over
appropriations, ensuring the executive branch cannot withhold funds that have
already been approved. It also protects public services that often fall victim
to cuts in bare-bones stopgaps, including security for judges and lawmakers and
funding for public broadcasting.
Leader Schumer Releases Democratic Plan To Avoid A Government Shutdown And Address Incoming Republican Healthcare Crisis (Senate Democrats, 9-17-25)
Democrats release their own funding proposal as government shutdown looms (The Washington Post, 9-17-25)
Democrats unveil funding alternative to counter GOP in shutdown brawl (Politico, 9-17-25)