Later today, Friday, September 19, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives will consider a Continuing Resolution to keep the federal government operating from October 1 through November 21, 2025.
- House Republicans: Leaders have unveiled the bill and hope for a quick vote. However, internal divisions exist within the party over spending levels.
- House Democrats: Leaders have criticized the bill and may oppose it, citing its lack of provisions related to healthcare.
- Senate: The bill faces a potentially difficult passage in the Senate, where some Democrats have indicated they will not support the measure
Here is the legislation – HR 5371 – CR
Here’s a section-by-section of the House-introduced text of H.R. 5371 — Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 (as posted Sept. 16 2025).
Division A — Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026
Sec. 101. Continuing funding. Keeps federal programs running at FY2025 levels (under the FY2025 full-year CR) with the same terms/conditions, subject to listed exceptions.
Sec. 102. DoD limitations under the CR. Bars new starts, production-rate increases, or projects not funded in FY2025; also bars initiating multi-year procurements using EOQ unless later specifically appropriated.
Sec. 103. Availability as in regular bills. Funds under §101 are available to the extent/manner of the underlying appropriations act.
Sec. 104. No project restarts. Prohibits initiating/resuming projects that lacked funding in FY2025 (except as allowed by §102).
Sec. 105. Obligation coverage. CR funding covers obligations incurred for projects/activities during the covered period.
Sec. 106. Period of the CR. Establishes the CR coverage window used throughout the bill (the “date specified in section 106” that companion sections reference; subsequent sections show this is keyed to Nov. 21, 2025 / Nov. 22, 2025 depending on context)
Secs. 118–123. Justice, NASA, fines, and DoD transfer provisions.
• Updates various date references to the §106 date;
• Adds DOJ U.S. Marshals operating plus-up for protective ops;
• Extends availability of expired NASA shuttle close-out accounts;
• Substitutes “advances” for “reimbursements” in two DoD provisos;
• Authorizes certain Navy/Air Force apportionments notwithstanding §§102/104.
Sec. 124. E-7 Wedgetail transfer. Moves $200M in unobligated Air Force aircraft-procurement funds to RDT&E for continued rapid prototyping/transition to production.
Sec. 125. Defense Production Act date. Extends DPA §717 authority to the §106 date.
Sec. 126. Navy shipbuilding apportionment. Allows up to $154M to finish prior-year Virginia-class submarine programs.
Sec. 127. CALFED authorization tweak. Increases Bay-Delta Act authorized amount to $32.6M during the CR period.
Sec. 128. NNSA weapons transport operations. Ensures apportionment to maintain safe, secure nuclear weapons transport.
Sec. 131. Treasury Departmental Offices. Raises a specific line from $350k to $1.35M (and allows obligation in FY2026 account structure).
Sec. 132. SBA Business Loans program. Permits higher apportionment rates to meet demand for 7(a), 504 and SBIC guarantees/certificates.
Sec. 133. Treasury TFI funding. Sets the Office of Terrorism & Financial Intelligence to a specific annualized rate ($237.662M).
Sec. 134. Pay language timing. Adjusts a prior law’s pay-period end date to align with §106(3).
Sec. 135. GAO access law date conforming. Updates multiple paragraphs by substituting the §106 date for “Sept. 30, 2025.”
Sec. 136. Supreme Court protection. Adds $28M, available until expended, for protection of the Justices (including vehicles), to be spent as the Chief Justice approves.
Secs. 137–146. Homeland/cyber/FEMA/wildlife/other dates. Rolls forward a set of DHS and cyber statutory sunsets to the §106 date; allows FEMA DRF apportionment “up to the rate” to carry out Stafford Act response/recovery; updates Pittman-Robertson and other multi-year programs.
Sec. 148. ACF/Head Start proviso for F.S. Micronesia & Marshall Islands. Sets each base grant at $8,000,000 during the CR.
Sec. 149. Death gratuities (House). Authorizes $174,000 payments to named survivors of deceased Members.
Sec. 150. Member pay COLA. Prohibits a Member cost-of-living adjustment during the covered period.
Sec. 151. U.S. Capitol Police mutual aid. Adds $30M (FY2026, until expended) for mutual-aid reimbursements and related training.
Sec. 153. DFC sunset date. Substitutes the §106 date for the 7-year BUID Act sunset clause.
Sec. 154. Millennium Challenge Corporation. Extends two MCC provisos to Dec. 31, 2026.
Sec. 155. HUD HCV (tenant-based rental assistance) flexibility. Lets HUD use specific unobligated balances to avoid benefit terminations in CY2025; redesignates prior emergency amounts as emergency for FY2026 enforcement.
Sec. 156. Essential Air Service. Allows apportionment necessary to maintain EAS operations.
Sec. 157. Motor carrier safety date. Updates a motor-carrier safety reauthorization date to the §106 date.
Division B — Extenders & Health Programs
Title I — Agriculture and Related (selected provisions shown in the bill)
Sec. 118 (Ag provision). Updates Agricultural Act §8302(b) date to the §106 date (keeps a program active through the CR).
(Other Title I sections similarly substitute the §106 date for near-term sunsets across Ag/related authorities; the bill text uses “the date specified in section 106” to advance these through Nov. 21/22, 2025.)
Title II — Medicare
Sec. 201. Low-volume hospital add-on. Extends LVH adjustments to cover Oct. 1–Nov. 21, 2025, then continues for the rest of FY2026 and FY2027 (with conforming October/November date swaps).
Sec. 202. Medicare-Dependent Hospital (MDH). Shifts Oct. 1, 2025 references to Nov. 22, 2025 and explicitly treats Oct. 1–Nov. 21, 2025 as covered for MDH computations/conformities.
Sec. 203. Ground ambulance add-ons. Extends urban/rural/super-rural add-ons by replacing Oct. 1, 2025 with Nov. 22, 2025.
Sec. 204. Quality-measure endorsement funding. Extends §1890(d)(2) authorization by changing Sept. 30, 2025 to Nov. 21, 2025. (Further Medicare/health extenders follow the same pattern of short date pushes to bridge the CR window.)
Division C — FDA & Health Authorities (Selected Sections)
Sec. 505. FDA annual report—added content for OTC monograph program. Beginning FY2026, FDA must include detailed OTC metrics (Tier 1/Tier 2 orders issued, timelines, postmarket safety activities, facility registration/fees, topical standards, and use of non-animal methods).
Sec. 506. Evidence/testing standards for topical OTC ingredients. Adds §505G(r) to FFDCA: allows appropriate use of real-world evidence and non-animal methods; aligns certain regulatory standards for topical actives.
Sec. 507. OTC supply chain report. Requires FDA to report how it uses supply-chain data, coordinates with other agencies, and what additional authorities/info may be needed to ensure OTC supply-chain stability.
Notes on dates & structure
Throughout the bill, many provisions simply replace an expiring statutory date (often Sept. 30 or Oct. 1, 2025) with Nov. 21 or Nov. 22, 2025, or with “the date specified in section 106,” to carry programs through the CR period. The Medicare sections explicitly spell out Nov. 21/22, 2025
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