Monday, December 15th, 2025
Senate Rejects Dueling Health Bills: The enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits are all but certain to expire, after the Senate rejected dueling proposals from Democrats and Republicans on how to address their impending end. A bill from Democrats to extend the credits for three years failed (51-48) to meet the needed 60-vote threshold. A GOP proposal to let the credits end and partially replace them with federally funded tax-advantaged health savings accounts also failed on a 51 to 48 vote.
In the House, Several health policy proposals aimed at addressing rising health costs would be implemented under an as-yet-unnumbered bill. Republicans offered the package as an alternative to extending enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act that expire Dec. 31. Instead, it would require more transparency from pharmacy benefit managers, codify association health plans, and fund ACA cost-sharing reductions. House Republicans have also been discussing a potential amendment vote to extend the expiring subsidies by two years.
Impeachment of President Donald Trump: The House voted to table (kill) H.Res.939 (237-140), which would impeach Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
Nullify Collective Bargaining Executive Order: The House passed (231-195) H.R.2550 that nullifies a March 27, 2025, presidential executive order titled "Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs," which eliminated collective bargaining rights for the employees of dozens of federal departments and agencies. It also would provide that any collective bargaining agreement in effect as of March 26 "shall have full force and effect through the stated term" of the agreement, thereby restoring any terminated agreements.
Limit Scope of Clean Water Act: The House passed H.R.3898 (221-205), which would limit the scope of the Clean Water Act by redefining navigable waters to exclude (1) waste treatment systems, (2) ephemeral features that flow only in direct response to precipitation, (3) prior converted cropland, (4) groundwater, or (5) any other features determined to be excluded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Increasing Investor Opportunities: The House passed H.R.3383 (302-123), which would remove a loophole that allows activist investors to take over closed-end funds (CEFs) and force them into liquidity events or radically change their investment strategy. It would also allow a CEF to invest its assets more freely in securities issued by private funds.
Electric Supply Chain: The House passed H.R.3638 (267-159), which would direct the Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct periodic reviews of vulnerabilities, shortages, or disruptions affecting transformers, transmission equipment, critical minerals, and other components essential to the bulk power system. It also requires DOE to consult closely with utilities, grid operators, manufacturers, and other industry experts and provide Congress with up-to-date, actionable information.
National Defense Authorization (NDAA): The House passed S.1071, which authorizes $901 billion in defense funding that would set curbs on American investments in sensitive Chinese industries and back the Pentagon’s push to buy commercial technology to speedily equip US troops. The NDAA also provides $400 million in military assistance to Ukraine in each of the next two years and includes other measures reinforcing the U.S. commitment to Europe's defense, reflecting most lawmakers' continuing strong support for Kyiv as it fights Russian invaders. The bill includes a 4% pay raise and improvements in base housing. The bill now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to pass.
State Planning for Reliability and Affordability: The House passed H.R.3628 (218 to 207), which would mandate U.S. states to update their utility planning, requiring them to prioritize dependable, continuously available power sources and secure supply chains, ensuring sufficient, affordable electricity for residents, especially with rising demands from AI and manufacturing, and addressing vulnerabilities in the current grid system.
