CQ Morning Briefing

Brace yourself for a January funding sprint. The Senate punts a potential health care fix into the new year. And there's more on Washington's to-do list as the year wraps up and a new one beckons. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Friday, Dec. 19, 2025.

The House will likely vote on ACA tax credits in January. House Republicans are looking at a January funding sprint. Senators quickly move to undo an NDAA provision regarding airport safety. Kristina Karisch has your CQ Morning Briefing for Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025.

Holdups remain for quick movement on a Senate spending package. A GOP health bill is headed for the House floor, though it doesn't extend ACA credits. The Senate is set to vote on the NDAA today. Kristina Karisch has your CQ Morning Briefing for Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025.

Senators float a bipartisan ACA subsidy effort for January. Senate Republicans are considering separate votes on a spending bill package. Final Senate action on the NDAA is on the horizon. Kristina Karisch has your CQ Morning Briefing for Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025.

The Senate plans to clear the National Defense Authorization Act this week. House GOP leadership is teeing up floor action on a health care plan that forgoes an ACA tax credit extension. And energy permitting overhaul bills are also slated for the House floor. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Monday, Dec. 15, 2025.

Small signs of progress on the massive Senate minibus. Two partisan health care votes fell short in the Senate: Now what? The NDAA is set for Senate votes next week. Kristina Karisch has your CQ Morning Briefing for Friday, Dec. 12, 2025.

Senate votes will test competing health plans. After passing the House, the NDAA heads to the Senate. CDC employees say a White House policy threatens telework for employees with disabilities. Kristina Karisch has your CQ Morning Briefing for Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025.

Expect a House floor vote on the NDAA as soon as today. House and Senate Republicans launch competing health care plans. An overview of remaining appropriations holds. Kristina Karisch has your CQ Morning Briefing for Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025.

The House Rules Committee meets to tee up the compromise NDAA for the floor. Senate Republicans float competing health care plans. House Republicans push ahead on a permitting overhaul. Kristina Karisch has your CQ Morning Briefing for Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.

Lawmakers have unveiled the long-awaited text of a compromise National Defense Authorization Act. A batch of capital formation bills is being teed up for the House floor. And the Supreme Court weighs in on Trump's firing of an FTC commissioner. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Monday, Dec. 8, 2025.

Leadership works through last-minute sticking points on the National Defense Authorization Act. Small signs of progress emerge on the Senate's massive "minibus" spending package. And get ready for competing, partisan health care votes as soon as next week. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.

Lawmakers work through final NDAA details ahead of release. A report on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's use of Signal is expected. Senators leave the door ajar for a health care premium deal. Kristina Karisch has your CQ Morning Briefing for Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.

A deal to address expiring health tax credits is looking more like a long shot. Senate Republicans lead a hearing on impeaching "rogue" judges. A bipartisan trio in the House hopes to force a vote on Russia sanctions. Kristina Karisch has your CQ Morning Briefing for Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025.

Congress has a long to do list—and not a lot of time to get it done. Hegseth is facing bipartisan criticism for his reported order against an alleged drug smuggling boat. The House this week takes up a bill to codify name, image and likeness rules for college athletes. Kristina Karisch has your CQ Morning Briefing for Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.

Senators released draft text of two more spending bills for fiscal 2026. Trump's ACA extension plan gets largely harsh reviews from both sides. FEMA will get a new acting administrator on Dec. 1. Kristina Karisch has your CQ Morning Briefing for Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025.

Lawmakers are heading home for the Thanksgiving recess as spending bills stall. NDAA text is now expected in early December. And Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., is threatening to expel indicted Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla. Kristina Karisch has your CQ Morning Briefing for Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025.

Senate appropriators will huddle today as they try to push forward on more spending bills. Negotiators get closer to finalizing the fiscal 2026 NDAA. And some nominees face delays as Senate panels raise questions. Kristina Karisch has your CQ Morning Briefing for Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025.

House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole warns that a yearlong stopgap is possible for some agencies. The text of the compromise National Defense Authorization Act could be released next week. And lawmakers are mulling competing proposals for the expiring health care subsidies. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025.

The House is set to vote on a bill intended to force release of the Epstein files. Senate Republicans propose funding health savings accounts amid the ACA subsidy fight. And Congress could soon move a long-awaited Russia sanctions package. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025.

The Senate's ambitious plan for a four-bill spending package faces an uphill climb. Proponents of a congressional stock trading ban gear up for a Wednesday hearing. And defense contractors want "right-to-repair" language removed from the defense authorization bill. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Monday, Nov. 17, 2025.

The longest-ever government shutdown is over. The House could vote as soon as next week on a measure to compel the release of Epstein documents. And lawmakers urge changes to troops' "basic needs" allowance. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025.

It's Day 43 of the partial government shutdown — and potentially the last, as the House looks to clear the CR. Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., will finally be sworn in. And senators have plans to advance four more fiscal 2026 spending bills before long. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025.

It's Day 41 of the government shutdown, but the end may be near after a Senate breakthrough over the weekend. Ahead of Veterans Day, one veteran lawmaker is pushing a group of bills seeking to protect veterans and servicemembers from deportation. And Rep. Elise Stefanik's bid to be governor of New York opens up a deep-red House seat. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Monday, Nov. 10, 2025.

Senate Republican leaders will again push a procedural vote on stopgap spending, this time with a potential package of three full-year bills. A key House lawmaker says a compromise NDAA likely won't include the topline bump the Senate has suggested. And as former Speaker Nancy Pelosi is set to retire, she leaves a historic legacy as a vote-counter and tactician. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Friday, Nov. 7, 2025.

It's Day 37 of the record-breaking partial government shutdown, and the endgame is still unclear. Tuesday's elections have a ripple effect on members of key congressional panels. And the Senate weighs in on Trump's military strikes in Venezuela. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025.

It's Day 36 of what's now the longest-ever partial government shutdown. Both parties have internal disagreements on next steps. SNAP beneficiaries face delays while some Head Start programs close. And the Supreme Court takes up Trump's tariffs. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025.

It's Day 35 of the partial shutdown, tying the longest ever. Senate Republicans are mulling a longer stopgap. Three defense nominees go before the Senate Armed Services Committee. And voters elect new governors in Virginia and New Jersey. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.

It's Day 34 of the shutdown. This could be a critical week for finding a way to end the funding lapse. Angst over boat strikes is bipartisan. And advocates and a senior lawmaker are pushing to restore military housing funding that was tapped to pay troops during the shutdown. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Monday, Nov. 3, 2025.

It's Day 30 of the partial shutdown. Dialogue ramps up among senators on somehow ending the funding lapse. Both parties broaden their shutdown-related messaging. And whenever the House returns to legislative session, it'll have a lot to catch up on. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025.

Open enrollment is likely to begin with questions still surrounding expiring enhanced health insurance subsidies. More votes On tariffs, including a measure to end a 35 percent levy against Canada, are on tap this week. And another vote related to strikes on alleged drug-running boats is likely as soon as next week. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025.

Hopes fade for a compromise on federal employees' pay. A move by a federal employee union illuminates Democrats' competing priorities. And Trump asks the Supreme Court to allow for removing the register of copyrights while her firing is in court. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025.

The Agriculture Department says it lacks authority to fund food stamps while appropriations are lapsed. Senators focused on sanctioning Russia are on the same page as the EU. And the Energy Department wants to see speedier approvals for data centers. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Monday, Oct. 27, 2025.

It's Day 24 of the partial government shutdown. The Senate could compromise on a bill to pay federal workers during the shutdown. But a deal on health care subsidies is looking less likely. And the top House appropriator is looking to quickly get a three-bill spending package moving when the government reopens. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Friday, Oct. 24, 2025.

With the shutdown now in a fourth week, the Senate holds a procedural vote on a bill to pay troops and certain civilian federal workers. The future for additional bipartisan Russia-related bills is unclear. And capital formation bills could be on tap in the Capitol once the House returns. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025.

The shutdown has now dragged long enough for Republicans to contemplate a longer stopgap funding measure. A dispute over hemp reemerges on the Agriculture spending bill. And defense authorizers want to have compromise text of their annual defense policy bill ready by early December. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025.

It's Day 21 of the partial government shutdown. Senate Majority Leader John Thune ponders a potential longer-term stopgap. A Russia sanctions bill is on hold ahead of the Trump-Putin meeting. And the Supreme Court now has two major gun cases on this term's agenda. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025.

It's Day 20 of the partial government shutdown. Furloughs are coming for judiciary and nuclear security staff. A federal judge expands her temporary block on shutdown layoffs. And action on the next cryptocurrency bill is being held up by language in...the previous cryptocurrency bill. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Monday, Oct. 20, 2025.

It's Day 17 of the partial government shutdown. Zelenskyy visits Trump. Democrats pan Thune's latest offer on a health care vote. And SNAP funding could run out soon. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Friday, Oct. 17, 2025.

It's Day 16 of the partial government shutdown. The Senate plans a procedural vote on a Defense spending bill. Appropriators are asking questions about how the Trump administration is paying the troops. And Sen. Lindsey Graham wants a vote on Russia sanctions. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.

It's Day 15 of the partial government shutdown, and the parties remain dug in. Laid off federal workers want Congress to get more details about their firings. And the Supreme Court hears a potentially landmark case on redistricting. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025.

Senators are continuing to weigh paths out of a shutdown amid pressure related to military pay. The House and Senate are ready to hash out a final fiscal 2026 NDAA. And foreign countries are looking to take advantage of Trump's fee hike on applications for H-1B visas and attract foreign talent. David Higgins has your CQ Morning Briefing for Friday, Oct. 10, 2025.

Though an exit route seems distant, Democrats are optimistic about an eventual deal on health care tax credits. A Defense and Labor-HHS-Education bundle is on Senate appropriators' radar for after the government reopens. Trump's nominee to be Air Force chief of staff gets a Senate confirmation hearing. Jacob Fulton has your CQ Morning Briefing for Thursday, Oct. 8, 2025.

Democrats and Republicans remain at odds as the Trump administration threatens the back pay of furloughed employees. That pay could need additional legislative action to be released. Democrats push against Trump's recent military use. Jacob Fulton has your CQ Morning Briefing for Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025.