House to vote on stopgap funding bill, but health care fight threatens a shutdown [View all]

Source: NPR

September 19, 2025 5:00 AM ET


House Republicans are working to avert a government shutdown with a Friday vote on legislation that funds federal agencies through November 21 and boosts money for security for government officials.

But few, if any, Democrats are expected to go along. Their fight to inject health care into the funding debate could mean Congress could fail to approve spending legislation before the September 30 deadline.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Thursday he expected the bill to pass. "We're going to get this government funded," he said. "We're going to keep the funding going and our appropriators will have more time to do their work." Republican leaders have repeatedly argued that Democrats regularly support extending current funding levels if Congress is unable to agree on new annual spending bills.

But Democrats, some of whom provided the needed support in March to pass a continuing resolution or "CR," say this time is different. They say millions of people who rely on expanded federal subsidies as part of the Affordable Care Act are at risk of losing their health care coverage if Congress fails to act.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2025/09/19/nx-s1-5545929/house-stopgap-funding-bill-government-shutdown