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The Bureau of Labor Statistics released revised news release dates following the reopening of the federal government.
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This Week in DC
The House and Senate are in.
The House convened Monday and considered eight bills. For Tuesday and the balance of the week, the chamber will consider multiple bills and resolutions, including three providing congressional disapproval of regulations. Committee activity scheduled for the week includes: the Education and Workforce Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday on the future of college and the Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing Wednesday on modernizing care coordination to manage chronic disease.
The Senate convened today and will consider an administration nomination. Committee activity scheduled for the week includes: the Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a hearing Wednesday on the future of PFAS cleanup and disposal and the Finance Committee will hold a hearing Wednesday on the rising cost of health care.
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Federal Government Reopens
The federal government reopened last week after the longest shutdown in history. The legislative package reopening the government (P.L. 119-37) included three full year appropriation bills and a continuing resolution to January 30, 2026, for the remainder of the government. A budget brief from Federal Funds Information for States can be found here.
Following this action, the administration withdrew its stay application for the Supreme Court regarding full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) released guidance on the resumption of benefits, which can be found here. The guidance also addresses the November quality control sample and case review process.
Reconciliation Resources
Following enactment of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), a number of resources have been released examining the legislation's impact and providing implementation guidance. Newly released resources are included below.
- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released preliminary guidance for states regarding the implementation of new federal requirements on health care-related (provider) taxes in Medicaid. The letter provides details regarding limits on new or increased health care-related taxes, along with information on transition periods and next steps for compliance.
- The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) issued a memo providing answers to follow-up questions submitted by state agencies on the variance exclusion period for implementation of Sections 10102 and 10103 related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Education Announces Agency Partnerships
Today the Department of Education (ED) announced six new interagency agreements (IAAs) with four agencies intended to streamline federal education activities, reduce administrative burdens, and refocus programs and activities to better serve students and grantees. These partnerships follow a workforce development partnership signed with the Department of Labor earlier this year. The new partnerships are with the Departments of Labor (DOL), Interior (DOI), Health and Human Services (HHS), and State. For example, DOL will take on a greater role in administering federal K-12 programs. A series of fact sheets is included in the announcement.
Agriculture Secretary Announces Reapplication for SNAP Beneficiaries
According to media reports, the Secretary of Agriculture said last week the administration is planning to have all Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries reapply to the program. The intent of the reapplication is related to alleged program fraud. In a statement on rates of fraud, a department spokesperson said “Using standard recertification processes for households is a part of that work. As well as ongoing analysis of state data, further regulatory work, and improved collaboration with states.” Information beyond media reports has not been made available at this time.
KFF Releases Medicaid Enrollment and Spending Report
Last week KFF released the 25th annual Medicaid Budget Survey, which found Medicaid enrollment fell 7.6 percent in fiscal year 2025 while total Medicaid spending grew by 8.6 percent. States report that provider rate increases, greater enrollee health care needs, and increasing costs for long-term care, pharmacy benefits, and behavioral health services are the most significant drivers of increased costs. Almost two-thirds of states say they face at least a “50-50” chance of a Medicaid budget shortfall in fiscal year 2026 as states anticipate state Medicaid spending growth of 8.5 percent and tight fiscal conditions.
President Signs Executive Order on Improving Foster Care Outcomes
On Thursday the President signed an executive order entitled “Fostering the Future for American Children and Families.” The order launches the “Fostering the Future” initiative to enhance the quality of federal resources and capabilities while also establishing an online “Fostering the Future” platform to connect youth to critical resources and build personalized plans for future support. The order also sets forth a strategy to reallocate underutilized federal funds to promote educational success, career advancement, financial literacy, and self-sufficiency for individuals transitioning out of foster care. The order facilitates tax-credit scholarships for foster children and directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to update regulations and improve state-level child welfare data collection and transparency. Modernization of state child welfare information systems is promoted by the order while also requiring an annual scorecard to evaluate state performance. A fact sheet on the order can be found here.
HUD Releases Funding Notice for Homeless Services with Program Changes
Last week the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced $3.9 billion in competitive grant funding through the fiscal year 2025 Continuum of Care (CoC) Competition notice of funding opportunity. The notice redirects the majority of funding to transitional housing and supportive services and requires 70 percent of projects to be competed to determine the best programs versus automatic renewals of funding. The funding notice also advances public safety through partnerships with law enforcement, focuses on self-sufficiency, and encourages personal accountability. Applications are due by January 14, 2026.
Appeals Court Pauses DOT Action on Non-Domiciled CDLs
According to media reports, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Court voted 2-1 to temporarily block the Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMCA) from enforcing an emergency interim rule that disallows states from issuing non-domiciled commercial driver licenses (CDLs). A social media post from the Secretary of Transportation indicated the department would appeal the ruling.
FTA Finalizes Guidance for Capital Investment Grants Program
On Thursday the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced finalized guidance for its Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program. The final guidance eliminates calculations for a “social cost of carbon” criteria and reverts to a previously used methodology that relies on the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) designation. FTA will use this guidance for the CIG program’s Fiscal Year 2026 Annual Report ratings, available on the agency’s website.
NTIA Announces Approval of 18 BEAD Final Proposals
Today the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced the approval of 18 eligible entities’ final proposals to deliver broadband access through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. The proposals are from LA, WY, IA, AS, GA, AR, DE, GU, ME, NH, CNMI, CT, SC, ND, HI, MT, RI, and VA. Additional information on final proposals will be posted here. To date, 53 of the 56 states and territories have submitted final proposals; the BEAD Progress Dashboard can be found here.
NTIA Announces Reforms to Tribal Broadband Program
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) recently announced work on reforms across its Tribal broadband programs intended to reduce red tape for Tribal governments, promote flexibility, and align the agency’s grant opportunities to better serve Tribal connectivity. The reforms will streamline the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program and the native entity set-aside from the Digital Equity Act through a new notice of funding opportunity. NTIA intends to launch the new notice in spring 2026 and will make available any remaining Tribal broadband funding, estimated to be at least $500 million.
EPA Proposes New Rule Defining Waters of the United States
On Monday the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) announced a proposed rule to establish a definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act. The proposal follows the Supreme Court decision in Sackett v EPA and was developed using input from public listening sessions, consultation comments from states, Tribes, and local governments, and a pre-proposal recommendations docket. Comments on the proposed rule may be submitted for 45 days following publication in the Federal Register. Additional information, including fact sheets, can be found here.
DHS Proposes Rescission of Public Charge Rule
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a notice of proposed rulemaking entitled “Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility.” The notice proposes to rescind the 2022 public charge ground of inadmissibility regulations in order to restore broader discretion to evaluate all pertinent facts and align with long-standing policy that immigrants in the U.S. should be self-reliant and government benefits should not incentivize immigration. Following removal of these regulations, DHS intends to formulate appropriate policy and interpretive tools that will guide public charge inadmissibility determinations. Comments may be submitted for 30 days following publication in the Federal Register.
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