09.29.2025 - DC Download

Sep 29

Without a government funding deal, federal agencies will shut down after midnight on Tuesday. Democrats in Congress continue to push for a deal that avoids massive health care cuts in the coming months. But despite a looming health care cliff and full government shutdown on the horizon, House Republican leadership sent lawmakers back to their districts for the week rather than continuing negotiations. All eyes are now on the Senate.

We break down the dynamics to watch below.

They Work for You

No matter who you are or where you live, we all want a better future for our families and communities. But too often, our voices are drowned out by corporate lobbyists and wealthy special interests.

This new toolkit helps constituents connect with their elected officials, share their stories, and push for the policies they care about. When we come together as we have in the past, we can win the policies our families need—clean air and water, good union jobs, great schools, healthcare for all, paid leave, affordable housing, and more. From stopping the repeal of the ACA to winning more funding for food stamps, our voices can and do make a difference. We’re here to help make sure that everyone has a say in the policies that shape our lives.

Check out our guide here.

Senate

Nominations

The Senate this week has teed up final votes on the following nominee:

Michael Waltz, to be U.N Ambassador

Senate Committee Highlights

Tuesday Hearings

Blue City Chaos and Tragedy: How the Trump Administration is Addressing the Human Cost of Soft On Crime Policies (Judiciary)

Examining Competition in America's Skies (Judiciary)

Briefing on Golden Dome for America (Armed Services)

Examining the Weaponization of the Quiet Skies Program (Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs)

The Future of U.S. Black Sea Strategy (Foreign Relations)

Wednesday Hearings

Examining the Taxation of Digital Assets (Finance)

Nominations of Scott Mayer and James Murphy to be a Members of the National Labor Relations Board; and Rosario Palmieri to be Assistant Secretary of Labor for Policy (Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions)

To consider various judicial nominations (Judiciary)

Issues to Watch

Showdown over health care cuts

The clock is running out as Congress seeks to avert a government shutdown that could start Wednesday morning, should lawmakers fail to pass a funding bill by the September 30 deadline.

Earlier this month, the House passed a short-term funding bill (H.R. 5371) on a nearly party-line vote of 217-212. Democratic leadership remains opposed to that bill, citing both the lack of Democratic input and Republicans’ ongoing efforts to gut health insurance premium support under the Affordable Care Act. Earlier this year, the GOP budget law slashed health care spending, including scaling back ACA tax credits. Now, the current measure fails to extend enhanced ACA subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year – as Democrats have urged. Together, this could strip health coverage from more than 15 million Americans. Republicans in Congress have refused to extend this insurance premium support for working people, even though the public broadly supports extending them and Americans have already begun receiving notices about higher premiums.

The GOP-authored funding bill is now in the Senate, where 60 votes are required for the measure to pass. The Senate rejected the bill 44-48 earlier in September. Senate Democrats maintain that extending Affordable Care Act insurance premium assistance is non-negotiable for any funding deal.

More on this:

NEW DATA: Congressional Inaction on the Health Care Tax Credit Will Hit Cancer Patients with Devastating Costs (Keep America Covered)

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act Will Increase the Number of Americans Without Health Coverage in Every State and Congressional District (CAP)

The administration looks to maximize a shutdown’s pain

In a significant departure from past shutdowns, during which many non-essential federal workers are furloughed (i.e., put on temporary leave), the Trump administration has directed agencies to prepare “reduction in force” (RIF) plans, or permanent mass layoffs, for staff employed under programs for which funding lapses, and are deemed “not consistent with the President’s priorities.”

Even without a shutdown in effect, the Trump administration has indiscriminately fired federal workers and ignored government funding laws. The federal government is already on track to lose nearly 300,000 workers by the end of the year. Democratic leaders have accordingly labeled the threat “nothing new,” while also underscoring that it is an attempt to “punish hardworking families.”

The threat of large-scale firings also clarifies the stakes of the current showdown. Ultimately, the current spending fight isn’t just about keeping the federal government up and running, but whether GOP lawmakers will choose to protect working people or force families to shoulder the cost of mass layoffs and higher health care bills.