Congress Passes Legislation Ending the Longest Government Shutdown in U.S. History

On November 12, Congress passed, and President Trump signed, a legislative package to fully reopen the federal government, ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The legislation includes a “minibus” of three full-year Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills that funds the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, and Congress through September 30, 2026. It also maintains funding for all other federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, at FY 2024 levels through January 30, 2026. 

Markedly, the package provides $107 billion in mandatory funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and includes protections for the federal workforce. However, it does not extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced tax credits that are slated to expire at the end of the year.  

AMCHP Leads National Organization Letter Urging Congress to Protect and Strengthen SPRANS Funding in FY26

AMCHP continues to lead partners and advocates with Congress to protect and strengthen the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant in Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). On November 3, AMCHP and over 125 organizations urged Congressional leaders to increase, rather than reduce, the Special Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS) portion of the Block Grant in FY26.  



Both House and Senate FY26 bills propose significant SPRANS reductions, threatening programs like Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children and the MCH Workforce Development Centers. AMCHP continues to call for $1 billion in total Title V funding for FY26.  

Congress

• Politico: House votes to reopen government after 43-day shutdown (On November 10, the Senate passed an amended version H.R.5371, the House version of a continuing resolution, with 60 Yeas and 40 Nays. On November 12, the House passed the same legislative package with 222 Yeas and 209 Nays. Bill text here) 

Executive Branch

• Department of Health and Human Services: HHS Advances Women’s Health, Removes Misleading FDA Warnings on Hormone Replacement Therapy 

• Food and Drug Administration: FDA Acts to Protect Children from Unapproved Fluoride Drug Products 

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: CMS Announces New Drug Payment Model to Strengthen Medicaid and Better Serve Vulnerable Americans 

Judicial Branch

• O’Neill Institute: State of Louisiana et al. v. Food and Drug Administration et al. (On October 6, a complaint was filed in the US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana that the 2023 update to the mifepristone REMS, which permanently removed the in-person dispensing requirement and allows medication abortion pills to be mailed, harms the state because it allows pregnant women in the state to receive medication abortion in violation of the state’s total abortion ban) 

• CBS News: With government shutdown over, focus turns to upcoming Senate fight on health care 

• Politico: House Dems to launch effort to force Obamacare subsidies extension 

• NBC News: Republicans demand tougher abortion restrictions to extend Obamacare funds 

• Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy Center for Children and Families: Threats to Maternal and Infant Health Won’t End After Shutdown Resolved 

• Insider NJ: Burke Foundation Commits $6.5 Million in Multi-Year Investments to Boost NJ Maternal and Early Childhood Health, Reduce Disparities 

• Merck: We’re helping build a brighter future for maternal health in America 

• Investigate West: Pregnant Oregonians need more addiction and mental health support — but the state’s network is fragile 

• Arkansas Advocate: UAMS to use $4M federal grant to bring more maternal health care to rural South Arkansas 

• WHYY: Investigating the high rates of C-sections  

Upcoming Events

• November 17, 3 PM ET – Protecting Mothers and Babies: Advocating for Families Amid Immigration Enforcement, a session that will share practical tools and resources to help document detentions, support affected families, and advance local and state “safe space” policies that protect expectant and new parents. Learn more and register.  

• November 18 – 21 – GIH Health Policy Exchange 2025, an annual conference that provides policy-engaged funders with information on current issues, access to leading thinkers, and connections with grantmaking peers. Learn more and register.  

• December 11, 2 PM ET – AMCHP Policy and Partnerships Town Hall, join our Policy and Government Affairs Team to learn about the latest updates in federal maternal and child health policy. Learn more and register. 

• December 11, 10:30 AM PT – Perinatal Mental Health 101, a webinar on the range of maternal mental health disorders, the prevalence, signs and symptoms, and recommended treatments. Learn more and register.

• January 22 – 23, 2026 – Families USA’s Health Action Conference 2026, an annual conference to bring together health advocates nationwide. Learn more and register.  

• February 8 – 11, 2026 – American Hospital Association Rural Health Care Leadership Conference, an annual conference with top rural practitioners sharing actionable strategies and resources aimed at improving access to care, leveraging unique workforce approaches and implementing digital technologies. Learn more and register. Learn more and register.  

• March 7 – 10, 2026 – Join us for our 2026 AMCHP Annual Conference to be held in Washington, DC, and one of the largest gatherings of maternal and child health leaders and thinkers in the U.S. Early Bird Registration is now open through January 9, 2026. Learn more and register. 

Additional AMCHP Resources

• Visit our Government Affairs webpage for information on our appropriations work, our Federal Policy Agenda, recordings of past Town Halls, and archives of this newsletter.

• Explore the AMCHP Resource Library.

• Check out our Exploring MCH Policy and the Policy Process e-learning module. 

• Learn about pending federal legislation to improve MCH from our Maternal & Child Health Bill Tracker. 

• Discover innovative policies in the MCH Innovations Database.

• Explore Careers at AMCHP and find additional openings in maternal and child health on the AMCHP Career Center.



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