The government is now fully funded through Jan. 30, 2026 under a continuing resolution (CR). Three of the 12 annual appropriations bills — including the one that funds the Food and Drug Administration — were enacted in full through Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. To secure this deal, Senate Republicans committed to holding a vote by mid-December on extending the Affordable Care Act premium tax subsidies. House Republicans did not formally agree to that provision, leaving significant uncertainty around how, if at all, that would proceed on Capitol Hill.
Congress is currently focused on several non-health care priorities. After the Thanksgiving recess next week, we anticipate renewed discussions about potential health care policy items, though the tight timeline and limited legislative days make major action this year increasingly unlikely.
340B Drug Pricing Program
America’s Essential Hospitals has finalized a statement on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Oct. 23 hearing and is circulating it with offices to underscore our position on the importance of the program.
Committee Activity This Week
The Senate and House are in session Monday through Thursday, with the Senate also convening on Friday.
The Senate Committee on Finance will hold a full committee hearing, “The Rising Cost of Health Care: Considering Meaningful Solutions for all Americans,” on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 10 am ET. Immediately prior, the committee will hold an executive session to consider favorably reporting several nominations, including Thomas Bell to be inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 2 pm ET, titled, “Modernizing Care Coordination to Prevent and Treat Chronic Disease”.
The Senate HELP Committee will hold a full committee hearing, titled, “Examining the Future of the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network,” on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 10 am ET. There were peculiarities on the Senate HELP website regarding this hearing, so please confirm this date and time if the issue is of particular relevance for your hospital.
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