ADVOCACY & POLICY UPDATE - October 14, 2025

Shutdown Enters Third Week Amid Congressional Stalemate​​

Appropriations

In the continuing government shutdown fight, Senate Republicans are now blocking Democrats from advancing their own short-term spending measure and are instead pushing votes only on a GOP-led alternative to reopen the government. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (LA) continues to keep his chamber in recess, while both chambers continue to operate under a prolonged shutdown with limited progress toward a deal. Negotiations between congressional leaders have stalled, with no active talks among the top four. Republicans are aiming to pressure a small group of Senate Democrats to support their proposal, but Democratic leaders remain united in calling for bipartisan negotiations. Although troop pay has been secured, other government operations, including the courts and air travel, face potential disruptions.

Democrats view the November 1 start of Affordable Care Act open enrollment and the possible expiration of premium tax credits as a key pressure point to reach an agreement. They are emphasizing the need to extend those subsidies as part of any deal, while Republicans maintain that such negotiations should only occur after the government reopens. Both parties are working to manage internal divisions. Senate Republican leaders are exploring limited bipartisan proposals, including a possible vote on extending insurance subsidies, but details remain unresolved. 

Senator Susan Collins’s (ME) is separately sharing a “six-point plan” with Democrats, which would involve a similar commitment on health care plus moving full year government funding bills. 

GOP Senator Markwayne Mullin (OK), the Republican senator the White House has tapped to help facilitate shutdown conversations, has been meeting with Democrats to discuss options for restoring funding, but he admitted little progress has been made. Mullin has emphasized the need to improve the appropriations process to avoid repeated shutdowns but said limiting presidential authority over spending decisions is not part of the talks. Mullin has been floating the idea of a new stopgap that would keep the government open through December 18 or 19, and since the House-approved bill expires November 21, top party leaders in the GOP are discussing that extension as a possibility. Democrats, on the other hand, want a shorter timeline, before the November 10 deadline for healthcare open enrollment.

U.S. Department of Education

On Tuesday, October 7, the Senate advanced Kirsten Baesler, the longtime education chief for North Dakota, to serve as assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education at the Department of Education. 

Baesler will lead the office of elementary and secondary education, which oversees some of the federal government’s core K-12 functions, including distribution of Title I funds to states and enforcement of the Every Student Succeeds Act. 

Kimberly Richey was also confirmed to oversee the agency’s office for civil rights. Both Richey and Baesler will have to wait until after the shutdown to be sworn in. The Education Department has not yet announced a replacement appointment for the agency’s number two position of deputy education secretary, after Penny Schwinn dropped out of consideration. For now, the former Tennessee education chief is serving as a senior advisor and chief strategist in the department.

Meanwhile, as the government shutdown continues, the U.S. Department of Education got hit with more job cuts — an additional 466 job cuts across multiple offices, including those overseeing special education, civil rights, and services for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The affected divisions include the Offices of Elementary and Secondary Education, Communications and Outreach, Postsecondary Education, Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and Civil Rights, according to the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, which represents over 2,700 department staff. Union representatives report they have not yet received formal notification from the agency and are assessing the extent of the reductions. These layoffs follow a major round of cuts in March and are part of a broader federal workforce downsizing effort.

The Department has been a frequent target for potential restructuring, with significant reductions implemented as part of the Department of Government Efficiency initiative. Earlier this year, a federal judge warned that the initial cuts could hinder the agency’s ability to fulfill its statutory responsibilities.

Almost 1,700 workers have left the department since January, a decline of over 40 percent. While there are still 2,450 workers at the department, according to the administration’s furlough plan released on September 28, Trump’s FY26 budget request outlines a plan to operate the department with roughly 2,200 employees. 

The current layoffs coincide with widespread government downsizing across federal agencies amid the continued federal shutdown, with the White House Office of Management and Budget recently announcing additional staff reductions. Meanwhile, Congress remains at an impasse over temporary funding measures, leaving most federal employees without pay as the House stays out of session and competing spending proposals stall in the Senate.

H-1B Visas

A coalition led by Global Nurse Force, a nurse staffing company, and several labor unions has filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of California challenging the Trump administration’s new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications. The plaintiffs argue that the administration exceeded its authority by imposing a charge that they claim only Congress can authorize. The suit also includes an anonymous postdoctoral researcher whose visa petition is reportedly delayed due to the fee. The plaintiffs contend that granting the Homeland Security secretary discretion to issue fee exemptions could allow for inconsistent enforcement. Health care and industry organizations, including the American Medical Association, have urged the administration to provide exemptions to address potential worker shortages. The White House has defended the policy as a measure to protect U.S. workers while ensuring that employers can hire necessary foreign talent. The case has been assigned to Judge Haywood Gilliam Jr., who scheduled a conference with the parties for January 6.