NEWS | Midweek Update From Capitol Hill - ACA Subsidies, the NDAA, and Small Business
- NSBA
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
As Congress charges toward year-end, dueling health care plans, stalled ACA subsidies, and a packed NDAA defense agenda are converging into a high-stakes week that could dramatically shape costs and stability for small businesses nationwide.
UPDATE, DEC. 11, 2025 | After passing the House by a vote of 215-211 along tight party lines, the Senate will pick up the FY26 NDAA bill next week.
The legislation authorizes a 3.8 percent troop pay raise and significantly overhauls the way the Pentagon conceptualizes and buys weapons.
The bill also sets some defense policy, including provisions to limit the President's ability to reduce American troops in Europe, as well as military exercises and defense tech collaboration to support Taiwan.
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DEC. 10, 2025 | On Thursday, picking up the health care subsidy fight, lawmakers are set to vote on opposing pieces of health care legislation, though none of the competing proposals are expected to pass.
A central point of contention is whether Congress will extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits, which are set to lapse at the end of the year without congressional action.
Senate Republicans plan to vote on a health savings accounts (HSAs) bill, while Senate Democrats will put forth their plan to extend the enhanced ACA subsidies for three years. The Senate GOP plan sidesteps the ACA credits; instead, it would establish a program to deposit funds into Americans’ tax-advantaged HSAs for certain out-of-pocket medical expenses.
The proposal has not yet secured President Trump’s endorsement.
In the House, GOP staff have been working to assemble a package for a vote next week before lawmakers leave Washington for the holidays. The current House plan also omits ACA extensions, though some House Republicans have signaled possible interest in renewing the credits.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has floated bundling several existing GOP health care bills, including measures related to HSAs and cost-sharing reductions (CSRs), promising a floor vote before the end of the month. Johnson said he expects the chamber to continue working on health care into the second quarter of next year.
Additionally, Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) has held “listening sessions” with committee leaders and rank-and-file Republicans for weeks in search of a consensus plan.
The House is also scheduled to vote Wednesday afternoon on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), after the Rules Committee advanced the measure late Tuesday.
A group of hard-line Republicans is considering whether to delay the bill over concerns about aid to Ukraine and the absence of a ban on a central bank digital currency.
Follow NSBA for more updates from Capitol Hill.
