September 19, 2025
Murkowski and Paul help defeat House stopgap while Fetterman splits with Senate Democrats
Appropriations standoff over ACA subsidies threatens 800,000 federal workers
September 19, 2025
Appropriations standoff over ACA subsidies threatens 800,000 federal workers
On Sept. 19, 2025, the Senate rejected two rival short-term funding measures.
The House bill that would have funded the government through Nov. 21 passed the House 217-212 but failed in the Senate, 44-48, when Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul joined Senate Democrats; Sen. John Fetterman was the lone Democrat supporting it. A Democratic alternative that would have paired funding with extended ACA premium subsidies and Medicaid restorations failed 47-45. The votes left Congress without an agreed stopgap as the Sept. 30 funding deadline approached.
The two Senate roll-call defeats occurred on Sept. 19, 2025. The House CR passed 217-212 but failed the Senate 44-48; the Democratic alternative failed 47-45.
The House CR would have funded the government through Nov. 21, 2025. The GOP text included roughly $88 million in additional security spending, including about $30 million aimed at member protections. The White House separately asked for $58 million to bolster executive and judicial security. The Democratic counterproposal included roughly $186.5 million for security and health provisions.
The Democratic funding alternative would have extended enhanced ACA premium subsidies for roughly 22.8 million Marketplace enrollees, per CBO/KFF projections, and would have reversed recent Medicaid cuts. That measure failed 47-45.
Reporting differs about the House schedule after the vote. Some outlets reported House leaders planned to reconvene Sept. 29. Others reported GOP leaders signaled they might not return until after Oct. 1. The precise House calendar and leaders' intent were reported inconsistently.
Estimates of federal workers affected vary. Analyses and press reports cite roughly 750,000 federal employees who could be furloughed, while unions representing about 800,000 federal workers warned of broad impacts.
Senate sources show Majority Leader
John Thune filed procedural motions and left open a possible late-September vote to revisit funding. The Senate Daily Press log documents cloture motions and roll calls tied to that debate.

Republican senator (Alaska)

Republican senator (Kentucky)

Democratic senator (Pennsylvania)

Senate Minority Leader (Democrat)

Senate Majority Leader (Republican)
Speaker of the House (Republican)
Director, Office of Management and Budget
monitoring
Watch Sept. 29 floor activity
Senate leaders left open votes for late September. Track the Senate calendar for any cloture or reconsideration motions on Sept. 29 and Sept. 30.
research
Follow ACA enrollment impact estimates
Use CBO and KFF analyses showing roughly 22.8 million Marketplace enrollees could be affected if enhanced subsidies lapse.
practicing
Track agency contingency plans
Monitor OMB and individual agency contingency memos for projected furlough counts and essential staffing changes.