The Senate returned to Washington on Monday, while the House is not scheduled to reconvene until October 7.

All eyes are on the looming government shutdown. Current funding ends at midnight tonight, and unless leadership of both parties and the president can come to a deal, the government will shut down. It is worth noting that President Donald Trump was to hold a meeting with congressional leaders from both parties as this issue was going to print.

At the center of the stalemate is a dispute over expiring enhanced health insurance tax credits, a top priority for Democrats. This disagreement derailed the House-passed “clean” continuing resolution in the Senate earlier this month, which could not get the 60 votes needed in the upper chamber. Democrats also want to restore funding for public broadcasting and reverse $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts from the One Big Beautiful Bill. With both sides deeply entrenched, the path to funding remains unclear.

Further complicating matters, the Trump administration has advised federal agencies to prepare for staff layoffs if funding lapses. The Office of Budget and Management (OMB) sent a letter instructing agencies to prepare for reductions in force.

Historically, the Low-Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP) was not affected by government shutdowns because staff were deemed essential. However, given that the administration laid off LIHEAP staff earlier this year, it remains to be seen if other personnel assigned to manage the program as a part of their regular duties will be designated essential. NEFI will attend a national LIHEAP advocacy meeting in Seattle this week, where this topic will be explored at length.

We will continue to monitor the shutdown situation and keep members updated.

There are no congressional hearings of interest scheduled for this week.