ADVOCACY & POLICY UPDATE - November 17, 2025

Federal Government Reopens Under Short-Term Agreement Through January

Washington Update

Appropriations

On Wednesday, November 12, President Donald Trump signed legislation to reopen the federal government, ending the 43-day shutdown — the longest in U.S. history. The continuing resolution (CR) had passed the House the night before by a vote of 222-209, after all but two House Republicans — Congressmen Thomas Massie (KY) and Greg Steube (FL) — voted in favor of the bill. Six House Democrats joined House Republicans voting in favor of the measure: Representatives Henry Cuellar (TX), Don Davis (NC), Adam Gray (CA), Jared Golden (ME), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA), and Tom Suozzi (NY). 

The enacted bill extends prior-year spending levels for most federal agencies through January 30 and provides full-year funding for certain agencies and programs, including funding that allows the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to resume regular payments. It reverses layoffs implemented during the shutdown, authorizes backpay for furloughed and unpaid federal employees, and includes provisions intended to prevent further workforce reductions tied to the funding lapse.

The CR does not resolve the central policy dispute that helped trigger the shutdown — whether to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits set to expire at the end of this year. As part of the agreement, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (SD) made a commitment to hold a mid-December vote on a Democratic proposal to extend the subsidies. Several Democratic senators have questioned the reliability of a future vote, noting that the agreement does not guarantee final legislative action. Any subsidy legislation that passes the Senate would still need to be considered in the House, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (LA) has not committed to bringing such a measure to the floor.

Since the shutdown ended without an agreement on ACA subsidies, Democrats who opposed reopening the government without an extension must now determine how to pursue the issue and have roughly a month to negotiate legislation that could gain enough GOP support for Senate passage. If approved, the extension would prevent increases in marketplace premiums and provide a policy achievement heading into 2026; if not, the expiring subsidies will remain a major political issue as the January 30 CR deadline approaches. Some Republicans have expressed openness to addressing the subsidies with reforms such as fraud prevention and income limits. 

As the CR funds most appropriations bills only through late January, Congress must address the expiring ACA premium tax credits and complete the remaining bills to determine whether the funding agreement provides a longer-term solution or a temporary reprieve.

Department of Labor

On Tuesday, November 11, sixty congressional Democrats, led by Senators Elizabeth Warren (MA) and Tammy Duckworth (IL), sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer expressing concern over recent Department of Labor (DOL) actions affecting workers with disabilities. The lawmakers criticized DOL plans to dismantle the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), reduce funding for the Office of Disability Employment, and reverse a Biden-era initiative aimed at phasing out a program allowing employers to pay workers with disabilities below the minimum wage.

The letter questioned whether DOL conducted economic or legal analyses on these actions, including a proposed rule that would remove hiring targets and data collection under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the decision to continue issuing 14(c) certificates. It also raised concerns about potential impacts from changes to the Job Corps program and Registered Apprenticeship equal employment regulations.

The DOL’s move to scale back the OFCCP follows a January executive order that revoked a decades-old equal employment requirement for federal contractors. While DOL remains responsible for enforcing Section 503, a July proposed rule would eliminate hiring targets and data collection for workers who self-identify as having a disability. The letter asks whether DOL analyzed the potential economic effects of this change, including possible higher unemployment or increased reliance on safety-net programs. It also seeks the legal justification for continuing the issuance of 14(c) certificates, which allow employers to pay some workers with disabilities below the minimum wage. DOL previously said it lacked the statutory authority to end the program, which now affects about 40,000 workers—down from roughly 400,000 in 2001. 

The lawmakers requested a response from DOL by Thursday, December 11.

Click here to read the press release and access the full letter.

October Job Data

On Friday, November 14, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced it will release the September 2025 jobs report the morning of Thursday, November 20. Additionally, it will release inflation-adjusted wage data on Friday, November 21. Work on both was mostly completed before the government shutdown. On Tuesday, November 11, ADP released a report that indicated private-sector employers cut an estimated average of 11,250 jobs per week during the four weeks ending October 25, indicating that job growth was uneven in the latter half of the month. ADP also estimated that overall job gains for October were roughly 42,000.

The White House has warned that key economic data for October, including the consumer price index (CPI) and the full monthly employment report, may be incomplete or delayed due to the recent government shutdown, which prevented the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from collecting price and employment information. Some officials noted that payroll-based employment data, which accounts for about half of the jobs report, may still be released, while the household survey used to determine the unemployment rate and other labor force demographics likely will not be available. Experts caution that retroactively collected data could be less reliable due to recall bias.

Click here to access the BLS announcement. 

Click here to access the ADP report.

U.S. Department of Education Grant Opportunity

On Monday, November 10, the U.S. Department of Education announced seven funding priorities for the FY25 Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), which focus on expanding the use of artificial intelligence (AI), strengthening civil discourse on campuses, advancing accreditation reform, and building capacity for high-quality short-term programs. The initiative is part of the Administration’s wider effort to modernize higher education policy and emphasizes goals such as strengthening free expression, diversifying viewpoints in academic settings, rethinking longstanding accreditation structures, and elevating workforce-aligned education pathways. According to the Department, the new FIPSE priorities are designed to give grantees the resources necessary to advance these reforms and enhance student success. The Notice Inviting Applications has been posted in the Federal Register, with awards expected by December 31, 2025. 

A total of $50 million will be directed toward projects using AI to improve student outcomes, including support for initiatives that apply AI to teaching, learning, and student support services, as well as efforts to broaden access to AI and computer science education so that future educators and students gain foundational exposure to emerging technologies.

Another $60 million will support efforts to promote civil discourse on college and university campuses through seminars, speaker series, debates, conferences, and other structured activities designed to strengthen free expression, encourage diverse viewpoints, and foster respectful dialogue.

The third area of focus, accreditation reform, is supported by $7 million dedicated to giving institutions more flexibility and choice. Funding will help colleges and universities cover the costs of switching accreditors and support the creation of new accrediting agencies to increase competition and lower barriers to entry.

The Department will also invest $50 million in expanding access to high-quality short-term programs aligned with workforce needs, particularly those eligible for Workforce Pell Grants under President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Funding will support both the creation of new short-term programs that meet Workforce Pell criteria and the expansion of existing programs designed to help learners quickly acquire in-demand skills.

Click here to access the full press release and learn more about how to apply.

House Education and Workforce Committee Hearings

On Tuesday, November 18, the House Education and Workforce Committee will hold the full committee hearing “The Future of College: Harnessing Innovation to Improve Outcomes and Lower Costs” at 10:15 ET.

On Wednesday, November 19, the House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education will hold the hearing “From Classroom to Career: Strengthening Skills Pathways Through CTE” at 2:00 pm ET. 

Click here to access the full committee hearing “The Future of College: Harnessing Innovation to Improve Outcomes and Lower Costs.”

Click here to access the subcommittee hearing “From Classroom to Career: Strengthening Skills Pathways Through CTE.”