On November 12, 2025, the House of Representatives voted 222-209, mostly along party lines, to approve a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government through January 30, 2026. The Senate passed the funding bill earlier that week by a vote of 60-40, with eight members of the Democratic Caucus voting in favor to reach the 60-vote threshold required for passage. President Trump signed the measure into law that night, thus ending the longest government shutdown in American history. 

The bill extends several health care provisions through January 30, 2026, retroactive to the start of the shutdown on October 1, 2025. The CR also waives – and thereby prevents – the implementation of sequestration under the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, which would otherwise have required across-the-board federal spending cuts including a four percent cut to Medicare provider payments starting in 2026.

The CR does not include an extension of enhanced premium tax credits (EPTCs) for Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans, which remain set to expire on December 31, 2025, unless an extension is enacted. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has pledged to allow a vote on an EPTC extension proposal by mid-December. In the meantime, the White House and Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle continue to consider proposals to prevent significant increases in consumer health care spending next year, including but not limited to a short-term EPTC extension.  

The full text of the CR can be found here.  

Impact on General Dentistry: While the passage of the CR ensures the continuation of funding for programs that support oral health and access to care, the expiration of EPTCs could affect patient access, affordability and coverage, thereby creating uncertainty and instability for providers and patients alike.