The Government is Reopening: What's Next?
On Thursday, the government started to reopen after the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The stopgap Continuing Resolution passed by Congress funds the government through January 30th, with a 'minibus' of select agencies receiving funding for all of fiscal year 2026 (through September).
Let's take a look at what this means for cancer research, healthcare, and our legislative priorities.
Funding for Cancer Research, Treatment, and Survivorship
Funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its National Cancer Institute (NCI) is provided through the Labor-HHS appropriations bill (LHHS), which is not among the agencies that received full-year funding. This means NIH and NCI now have an extension of last year's funding levels through January -- and an ongoing battle to secure full funding for fiscal year 2026.
We urge Congress to treat the full-year appropriations process with urgency and to pass a LHHS funding bill that includes the strongest possible support for NIH and NCI.
Sustained, predictable funding growth ensures that we can provide hope for the 15,000 American children who will receive a cancer diagnosis this year -- children who cannot afford another setback caused by more delays and disruptions to cancer research. Take action on FY26 funding.
A Call to Move Forward on Pending Pediatric Health Bills
With so much legislative time lost to a shutdown, we hope Congress will redouble its efforts to work through pending health bills we are closely engaged around as childhood cancer advocates. Among these policy priorities are the Give Kids a Chance Act (which includes the Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act) and the Accelerating Kids' Access to Care Act.
These policies would represent significant, needed progress for our kids. Thank you for helping us to amplify these issues and ensure that Congress understands children with cancer have waited long enough and deserve to be a priority. Take action here.
Enhanced Premium Tax Credits
The package does not include an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year. Without these tax credits, millions of Americans face dramatically increased health insurance premiums and potential coverage loss.
As part of the deal to reopen the government, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has committed to a separate vote on those subsidies in December.
Although House Speaker Mike Johnson has made no such commitment to give the issue a floor vote, Politico reports that “some GOP lawmakers, including vulnerable moderates and vulnerable incumbents, want to band together with Democrats to extend the enhanced premium tax credits." That report indicates House committee chairs will be holding listening sessions next week with party members to chart a course for health care policy and the expiring tax credits.
With open enrollment already underway and this issue in the national spotlight, now is the time to tell your Members of Congress that rising healthcare costs must be addressed.