BOOM: House & Senate Dems introduce THEIR budget bill to avoid a gov't shutdown, and I'm happy to say...

With the ongoing budget battle approaching the Sept. 30th federal government shut down deadline, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) have formally introduced a bicameral Continuing Resolution bill to fund the government for an extra month to buy more time to negotiate and avoid a shutdown by the Republican-controlled federal government:

Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair, and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03), House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member, introduced a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government funded and allow negotiations to continue over full-year bills that ensure Congress, not President Trump or Russ Vought, decide how taxpayer dollars are spent. The CR also addresses the health care crisis Republicans have single-handedly created and protects Congress’ power of the purse, rejecting President Trump’s illegal “pocket rescission.”

...The short-term continuing resolution (CR):

• Keeps the government funded through October 31 to avert a Republican shutdown and allow bipartisan negotiations to continue over full-year spending bills that ensure Congress—not President Trump and Russ Vought—determines how taxpayer dollars are spent.
  • This includes allowing more time for talks on the first three spending bills that conference negotiations have already begun over: the Agriculture-FDA, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction-VA spending bills.

• Addresses the health care crisis that President Trump and Republican lawmakers have single-handedly created by:
  • Reversing Republicans’ devastating Medicaid cuts and attacks on the Affordable Care Act in their Big Ugly Betrayal.
  • Preventing Americans’ health care premiums from skyrocketing by extending the premium tax credits that help over 20 million Americans afford health insurance.

• Addresses President Trump’s illegal pocket rescission and protects any spending agreement from unilateral partisan cuts.

• Provides additional funding to enhance security protections for Members of Congress, executive branch officials, and the judiciary.

GOOD, but the devil is in the details, which is where the summary comes in...I've highlighted some of the provisions which seem to be most relevant to most people concerned about the gutting of the federal government and democracy in general.

(scroll down awhile to get to the healthcare-specific provisions...in particular, SUBTITLE E):

Continuing Appropriations and Extensions and Other Matters Act, 2026 Section-by-Section Summary

DIVISION A – CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2026

• Section 101. Extension of FY 2026 Funding with Certain Exceptions.

Section 102. Prevention of New or Accelerated Production and New Multi-Year Activities at DOD.

Prevents the Department of Defense (DOD) from using funds provided by the continuing resolution (CR) for new or accelerated production of certain projects and other new starts and activities. It also prevents DOD from initiating certain multi-year procurements.

Section 103. Terms and Conditions.

States that funds provided by section 101 shall be available to the extent and in the manner that would be provided in the pertinent appropriations Act.

Section 104. Prevention of New Starts and Activities.

Prevents appropriations provided by the CR from being used for new starts and new activities.

• Section 105. Technical Budget Matter.
• Section 106. End Date of CR.

Section 107. Requirement to Charge CR Spending to Enacted Full-Year Appropriations Bill.

Requires that spending under the CR be charged to the full-year appropriations bill when such bill is enacted.

• Section 108. Apportionment Timing During the CR.
• Section 109. Expenditures for Grant Programs and Similar Payments.
• Section 110. Funding Shall be Spent in the Most Limited Manner Possible.

Section 111. Prohibition on Implementing President’s Budget Requests During a CR.

Prohibits the Administration from implementing the President’s budget request to increase, eliminate, or reduce funding for a program, project, or activity until such proposed change is enacted in an appropriation Act.

• Section 112. Operations of Mandatory Programs and Appropriated Entitlements.

Section 113. Restrictions on Furloughs or Termination of Employees.

Permits funds provided by the CR to be apportioned up to a rate for operations necessary to avoid furloughs, after the agency has taken all necessary action to reduce or defer non-personnel-related administrative expenses.

• Section 114. Waiver Language for Intelligence Programs.

Section 115. Redesignation of Specially Designated Emergency and Disaster Relief Funds.

Redesignates previously designated emergency funds and disaster relief funds and removes Presidential control over emergency funding. With the expiration of the statutory caps on discretionary spending under the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, the redesignations are for Congressional scorekeeping only.

Section 116. Making Available the Full Amount of Funds Designated as an Emergency in the 2025 Full Year CR.

Reverses illegal action by the White House to designate some funds provided in the 2025 Full Year CR as an emergency while not designating others. This resulted in $2.9 billion in funds provided by Congress not being made available for obligation, and $9.4 billion that is being illegally spent without Congressional approval. In addition, amends statute to remove the President’s authority to refuse Congress emergency designations.

Section 117. Oversight for OMB and Agency Execution of Specified Funding Levels.

Requires a report from OMB detailing how Congressionally mandated rescissions or cancellations continued by this Act are carried out.

Section 118. Extending the Period of Availability for Funds Mismanaged by the Office of Management and Budget, including Funds Unlawfully Frozen by the President’s So-Called “Pocket Rescission.”

Extends the availability of certain funds expiring on September 30, 2025, that were inappropriately constrained by the Office of Management and Budget. Addresses any funding OMB withheld from agencies after June 30, or funding OMB withheld from agency use with preconditions at any point between June 30 and September 30, including all funds frozen by OMB in response to the President’s so-called “pocket rescission.” Requires reports from OMB and the Comptroller General of the United States on the execution of this provision and removes all implicated funds from OMB control.

Section 119. Application of the Impoundment Control Act.

Permanently turns off the fast-track procedures under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, ensuring bipartisan funding agreements cannot be undone on a partisan basis. Prevents future mismanagement of funds by prohibiting OMB from inappropriately constraining agencies in the final 90 days before the expiration of funding.

• Section 120. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
• Section 121. Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999.
• Section 122. Extension of Expired Space Shuttle Funds.

Section 123. Continuation of NASA Science Missions.

Ensures the continuation of missions under development or formulation by the Science Mission Directorate of NASA through the length of the CR.

Section 124. Apportionment of NSF Funds.

Requires amounts made available to the National Science Foundation (NSF) be apportioned at a rate for operations necessary to maintain research facilities and scientific awards at current levels.

Section 125. Apportionment of NOAA Operations, Research, and Facilities.

Requires amounts made available to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to be apportioned at a rate for operations necessary to maintain research laboratories, cooperative institutes, and scientific awards of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research at current levels.

Section 126. NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

Requires the Secretary of Commerce to renew all cooperative agreements under the Manufacturing Extension Partnership during the period covered by the CR under the same terms and conditions as the previous agreement, unless requested otherwise by the eligible entity.

• Section 127. U.S. Marshals Service Spend Fast.
• Section 128. U.S. Marshals Service Protective Security.
• Section 129. U.S. Marshals Service Construction.
• Section 130. U.S Parole Commission.
• Section 131. Virginia Class Submarine Program.
• Section 132. Air Force E-7 Wedgetail Aircraft Program.
• Section 133. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Secure Transportation.
• Section 134. Extension of Bureau of Reclamation Calfed Bay-Delta Authorization.
• Section 135. Department of Energy Programs.
• Section 136. Requirement for Department of Energy to Meet Hanford Site Legal Obligations.
• Section 137. Small Business Administration (SBA) Business Loans Program.

Section 138. District of Columbia Local Funds.

Authorizes the District of Columbia to spend its locally raised revenue for programs and activities at rates provided for in the District’s Fiscal Year 2026 Local Budget Act of 2025. Prevents the cuts caused by the FY2025 Full Year CR.

• Section 139. Defender Services.
• Section 140. Department of the Treasury Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
• Section 141. Implementation of Postal Health Benefits.
• Section 142. Senior Political Pay Freeze.
• Section 143. Inspector General of the Office of Management and Budget.
• Section 144. U.S. Supreme Court Protective Security.
• Section 145. Court Security.
• Section 146. Disaster Relief Fund.
• Section 147. Reimbursable Screening Services Program (RSSP).
• Section 148. Firefighter Pay Cap Waiver.
• Section 149. Wildland Fire Management Suppression Operations.
• Section 150. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Contribution Authority.
• Section 151. Indian Health Service New Facility Staffing.
• Section 152. Puerto Rico School Payments.
• Section 153. Pittman-Robertson Act Interest-Bearing Account.

Section 154. Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Appropriates and restores $491 million to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for fiscal year 2026.

• Section 155. Head Start Grants to the Compact of Free Association States.
• Section 159. Member Pay Freeze.
• Section 160. Legislative Branch Security.
• Section 161. Native American Veteran Direct Loan Program.
• Section 162. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development General Capital Increase Authorization.
• Section 163. Essential Air Service.
• Section 164. Extending the Availability of Certain Highway Infrastructure Program Funding.
• Section 165. Tenant-Based Rental Assistance.
• Section 166. Renewal of Continuum of Care Grants.
• Section 167. Extending the Availability of Fair Housing Grants.

Now we get into the actual healthcare policy-related provisions...

• Section 2101. Extension for Community Health Centers,
• Section 2102. Extension of Special Diabetes Programs.
• Section 2103. National Health Security Extensions.
• Section 2104. Additional Programs.
• Section 2111. Extension of Increased Inpatient Hospital Payment Adjustment for Certain Low-Volume Hospitals.
• Section 2112. Extension of the Medicare-Dependent Hospital (MDH) Program.
• Section 2113. Extension of Add-On Payments for Ambulance Services.
• Section 2114. Extension of Funding for Quality Measure Endorsement, Input and Selection.
• Section 2115. Extension of Funding Outreach and Assistance for Low-Income Programs.
• Section 2116. Extension of the Work Geographic Index Floor.
• Section 2117. Extension of Certain Telehealth Flexibilities.
• Section 2118. Extending Acute Hospital Care at Home Waiver Authorities.
• Section 2119. Extension of Temporary Inclusion of Authorized Oral Antiviral Drugs as Covered Part D Drugs.
• Section 2120. Medicare Improvement Fund.
• Section 2121. Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Extension.
• Section 2122. Personal Responsibility Education Extension.
• Section 2131. Modifying Certain Disproportionate Share Hospital Allotments.
• Section 2132. Extension of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Demonstration Programs.

...and then, here we go...

SUBTITLE E–-OTHER HEALTH PROVISIONS

Section 2141. Repeal of Health Subtitle Changes.

Repeals Subtitle B, or the Health Title, of title VII of the Act titled “An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14” (Public Law 119-21).

This one may seem like an obscure, minor tweak, but it's actually MASSIVE.

"An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14" is the official legal name of...The One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

And repealing Subtitle B (Health) of Title VII of the OBBBA would...repeal basically every change the GOP made to Medicaid, Medicare and the ACA a few months ago:

This would repeal the Big Ugly Bill sections which gut Medicaid, Medicare & the ACA, including...

• Moratorium on implementation of rule relating to eligibility and enrollment in Medicare Savings Programs.
• Moratorium on implementation of rule relating to eligibility and enrollment for Medicaid, CHIP, and the Basic Health Program.
• Reducing duplicate enrollment under the Medicaid and CHIP programs.
• Ensuring deceased individuals do not remain enrolled.
• Ensuring deceased providers do not remain enrolled.
• Payment reduction related to certain erroneous excess payments under Medicaid.
• Eligibility redeterminations.
• Revising home equity limit for determining eligibility for long-term care services under the Medicaid program.
• Alien Medicaid eligibility.
• Expansion FMAP for emergency Medicaid.
• Moratorium on implementation of rule relating to staffing standards for long-term care facilities under the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
• Reducing State Medicaid costs.
• Federal payments to prohibited entities.
• Sunsetting increased FMAP incentive.
• Provider taxes.
• State directed payments.
• Requirements regarding waiver of uniform tax requirement for Medicaid provider tax.
• Requiring budget neutrality for Medicaid demonstration projects under section 1115.
• Requirement for States to establish Medicaid community engagement requirements for certain individuals.
• Modifying cost sharing requirements for certain expansion individuals under the Medicaid program.
• Making certain adjustments to coverage of home or community- based services under Medicaid.
• Limiting Medicare coverage of certain individuals.
• Temporary payment increase under the medicare physician fee schedule to account for exceptional circumstances.
• Expanding and clarifying the exclusion for orphan drugs under the Drug Price Negotiation Program.
• Permitting premium tax credit only for certain individuals.
• Disallowing premium tax credit during periods of medicaid ineligibility due to alien status.
• Requiring verification of eligibility for premium tax credit.
• Disallowing premium tax credit in case of certain coverage enrolled in during special enrollment period.
• Eliminating limitation on recapture of advance payment of premium tax credit.
• Permanent extension of safe harbor for absence of deductible for telehealth services.
• Allowance of bronze and catastrophic plans in connection with health savings accounts.
• Treatment of direct primary care service arrangements.

...as well as repealing the Rural Health Slush Fund.

And of course there's this provision regarding my biggest personal issue:

Section 2142. Permanent Extension of Enhanced Tax Credit.

Permanently extends the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credit by striking the 400% income limit from Subparagraph (A) of section 36B(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

BOOM, there it is: Not a one year extension, not a two year extension, but a permanent extension of the current Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC) levels, period.

Again: While this was originally done as part of a COVID pandemic emergency bill, the reality is that all this does is bring the ACA tax credits up to the levels they should have been in the first place 15 years ago.

 

Obviously Republicans are never going to agree to this bill as it stands (or likely anything remotely close to it), but this, at least, is the Democrats opening bid.

House Republicans can pass whatever the hell they want with a simple majority, of course.

Senate Republicans have three choices:

1. Negotiate in good faith;

2. Refuse to negotiate in good faith & shut down the government; or

3. Flat-out vote to kill the filibuster entirely and pass whatever they want with a simple majority.

Those are the possibilities on the table. I'm praying that Democrats stand their ground especially on the provisions reining in the Trump Administration's complete disregard for anything resembling the rule of law or the Constitution.

There's a whole additional section of provisions relating to Veterans Affairs as well which I'm listing below:

Section 2201. Extension of Requirement to Provide Nursing Home Care to Certain Veterans with ServiceConnected Disabilities.

Section 2202. Extension of Authority for Secretary of Veterans Affairs to Transport Individuals to and from Facilities of Department of Veterans Affairs.

Section 2203. Extension of Funding for Financial Assistance for Supportive Services for Very Low-Income Veteran Families in Permanent Housing.

Section 2204. Extension of Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program.

Section 2205. Extension of Authority to Maintain Regional Office in Republic of Philippines.

Section 2206. Extension of Requirement Relating to Restoration of Entitlement to Educational Assistance in Cases of Closure or Disapproval of Educational Institutions.

Section 2207. Extension of Authority for Treatment and Rehabilitation for Seriously Mentally Ill and Homeless Veterans.

Section 2208. Extension of Funding for Grant Program for Homeless Veterans with Special Needs.

Section 2209. Extension of Authority for Collection of Copayments for Hospital Care and Nursing Home Care.

Section 2210. Extension of funding for expansion of Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement Program.

Section 2211. Extension of Authority to Provide Assistance for Specially Adapted Housing for Disabled Veterans Residing Temporarily in Housing Owned by A Family Member.

Section 2212. Extension of Authority for Specially Adapted Housing Assistive Technology Grant Program.

Section 2213. Extension of authorization of appropriations for homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with Children Reintegration Grant Program.

Section 2214. Extension of Authority Relating to Vendee Loan Program.

Section 2215. Extension of Subpoena Authority of Inspector General of Department of Veterans Affairs.

Section 2216. Extension of Authority for Transfer of Real Property.

Section 2301. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Whistleblower Program.

Section 2302. Forest Service Participation in ACES Program.

Section 2303. Food for Peace Act.

Section 2304. United States Grain Standards Act.

Section 2305. Extension of Defense Production Act of 1950.

Section 2306. Alternative Fuel Vehicles in HOV Lanes.

Section 2307. Eligibility of Certain Projects Under the TIFIA Program.

Section 2308. Protection of Certain Facilities and Assets from Unmanned Aircraft.

Section 2309. National Cybersecurity Protection System Authorization.

Section 2310. State And Local Cybersecurity Grant Program.

Section 2311. Cybersecurity Information Sharing.

Section 2312. Additional Special Assessment.

Section 2313. Short-Term Reauthorization of the United States International Development Finance Corporation.

Section 2401. Budgetary Effects.