Congress is once again lurching toward a government shutdown after the Senate blocked a House-passed continuing resolution (CR) that would have extended current funding levels through November 21, 2025. The House narrowly approved the measure 217-212, with two Republicans opposing and one Democrat crossing party lines to support. Hours later, the Senate rejected the bill in a 44-48 vote, falling well short of the 60 votes needed. With lawmakers leaving town for the Rosh Hashanah recess and not returning until just two days before funding expires on September 30, federal agencies are now bracing for a shutdown. Both parties appear entrenched, with Republicans seeking to repeat their spring negotiating tactics and Democrats holding firm against further cuts to Medicaid and ACA subsidies.
Meanwhile, ABC scored two policy wins in Washington. On September 17, the House Education and Workforce Committee advanced the ABC-supported Michael Enzi Voluntary Protection Program Act (H.R. 2844), which would make OSHA’s VPP permanent and dedicate at least 5% of the agency’s budget to the program. The following day, the Senate confirmed ABC-backed nominee Sean McMaster to lead the Federal Highway Administration in a 51-47 vote. Together, these developments underscore ABC’s growing influence on both safety and infrastructure policy at the federal level.
This and information like this is shared by ABC National via the ABC Beltway Blueprint, if you would like to subscribe to this newsletter, please fill out this form