{"id":2007,"date":"2026-01-19T15:04:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T15:04:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.hhs.com\/?p=2007"},"modified":"2026-01-19T15:05:58","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T15:05:58","slug":"progress-on-fy-2026-appropriations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.hhs.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/19\/progress-on-fy-2026-appropriations\/","title":{"rendered":"Progress on FY 2026 Appropriations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Progress on FY 2026 Appropriations \u2013 <\/strong>Congressional progress on completing the fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations process continued last week. The House of Representatives passed the Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act (H.R. 7006) in a 341-79 bipartisan vote on Wednesday. The package contains $9.4 billion in global health funding, rejecting the deeper cuts to global health proposed by the President\u2019s budget. The bill includes $524 million in appropriations for family planning and reproductive health, nearly $109 million for neglective tropical disease,\u00a0$300 million for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and $4.6 billion for the President\u2019s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The bill now moves to the Senate where consideration is expected the week of January 26. On Thursday, the Senate passed the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act (H.R.6938) in an 82-15 bipartisan vote. That package now heads to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law.<\/p>\n

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Congress has four remaining spending bills to finalize for the current fiscal year. An agreement on the next funding package, including Labor-Health and Human Services, Defense, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development is anticipated soon. Recent negotiations have focused on language to restrict the White House from providing multi-year research grants for\u00a0the National Institutes of Health as a single lump sum, as well as to restrict funding for gender-affirming care for minors. A path forward on the Homeland Security spending bill remains unclear; Democrats are demanding changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in light of recent events in Minneapolis. Lawmakers face a January 30 deadline to address health extenders, avert another government shutdown, and fund federal agencies for fiscal year 2026.<\/p>\n

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President Releases \u201cGreat Healthcare Plan\u201d as Progress on Bipartisan Compromise Stalls \u2013 <\/strong>President Donald Trump is asking Congress to act without delay on the \u201cGreat Healthcare Plan\u201d<\/a> released by the White House last week. The plan consists of a framework of policies that support the President\u2019s vision for lowering the nation\u2019s health care costs. It addresses several issue areas, including lowering drug prices and insurance premiums, holding big insurance companies accountable, and maximizing price transparency. The plan would not extend the now expired advance premium tax credits (APTC), with the President having threated to veto any APTC extension that reaches his desk.<\/p>\n

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The release of the President\u2019s plan followed reports that the legislative text of a bipartisan Senate plan to extend the expired Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies will not be ready until the end of the month. Negotiators have already coalesced around several APTC policy modifications, including a shorter, two-year extension, an across-the-board minimum $5 premium, a 700% federal poverty level income cap on eligibility, and the extension of open enrollment until March 1. While Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) \u2013 the lead negotiators \u2013 had previously indicated that the text could be released last week, disagreements reportedly remain related to abortion funding restrictions.<\/p>\n

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The ACA open enrollment period ended on January 15. Approximately 1.4 million fewer people have enrolled in coverage compared to last year. This figure is less than the 2.2 million decrease projected<\/a> by the Congressional Budget Office in the case of an APTC expiration, though experts caution that further attrition is likely in the coming months as enrollees face premiums that are more than doubling on average.<\/p>\n

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Senate HELP Committee Advances Four Health Bills –<\/strong> The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted unanimously to advance the following health-care bills on Thursday:<\/p>\n