House Republicans released a stopgap funding bill Tuesday that would keep the federal government operating through November 21.
House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma introduced the “Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026,” a 91-page bill that would fund government agencies at current levels for seven additional weeks while Congress works to finalize full-year spending legislation.
The continuing resolution includes several significant components beyond basic government funding:
Security Enhancements: The legislation allocates $88 million in new security funding following the recent assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on September 10. The security package includes:
- $30 million for enhanced security for members of Congress
- $28 million for Supreme Court justice protection
- $30 million for executive branch security
House Speaker Mike Johnson described the measure as a “clean” continuing resolution, emphasizing that it provides exactly what Democrats have historically requested during government funding battles.
However, Democratic leaders immediately signaled their opposition to the Republican proposal. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a joint statement criticizing the bill, saying it “fails to meet the needs of the American people and does nothing to stop the looming healthcare crisis.”
The most immediate healthcare crisis Democrats are highlighting involves the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits at the end of 2025. These subsidies, which currently help over 22 million Americans afford marketplace health insurance, are set to disappear unless Congress acts.
The enhanced subsidies were introduced in 2021 under the American Rescue Plan Act and expanded eligibility to households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level ($103,280 for a family of three in 2025), capping their premium payments at 8.5% of income. Since their implementation, ACA marketplace enrollment has more than doubled from 11.4 million in 2020 to 24.3 million in 2025.
If the enhanced subsidies expire, policy experts project devastating financial consequences for enrollees:
- Average premium payments would increase by more than 75%, translating to roughly $700 more annually per person
- Rural areas could see premium increases of up to 90%
- Some middle-income families could face premium hikes exceeding $4,000 per year
- Individuals earning above 400% of the poverty line would lose all subsidies entirely, facing annual premiums jumping from $3,576 to $6,490
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 4.2 million Americans would lose health insurance coverage by 2026 if the enhanced subsidies are not extended, with that number potentially rising to nearly 7 million by 2034.
Democrats are equally focused on reversing Medicaid cuts enacted in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that President Trump signed into law in July 2025. This massive reconciliation package included nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid reductions over the next decade.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Medicaid cuts could result in 8-12 million Americans losing coverage by 2034.
Democrats are concerned about the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium subsidies at the end of 2025 and recent cuts to Medicaid programs. They have demanded that any continuing resolution address these healthcare issues, which Republicans have refused to include.
Speaker Johnson has indicated the chamber could vote as early as Friday. If passed by the House, the bill would move to the Senate, where it would need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, requiring support from at least seven Democrats.
On Fox and Friends, President Trump said that he told Republicans, “Don’t even bother dealing with them. We will get it through, because the Republicans are sticking together for the first time in a long time.”
Without congressional action, the federal government would shut down at 12:01 a.m. on October 1. The November 21 deadline would give lawmakers additional time to negotiate full-year appropriations bills while avoiding a shutdown during the holiday season.
