The federal government reached Day 38 of the partial shutdown today. Bipartisan discussions are taking place at the rank-and-file level in the Senate, but no agreement has emerged. Democrats are refusing to vote for the continuing resolution unless Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premiums are extended through next year as part of the funding bill. Republicans refuse to negotiate on the ACA premiums extension until the federal government has reopened. Speaker Johnson adjourned the House on Sept. 19 after it passed a clean continuing resolution (funding the government at FY 2024 levels with no policy riders attached) by a party-line vote and has kept the House out of session, vowing not to return until the Senate passes a funding bill. The House has not been in session for 49 days, halting all legislative work in that chamber. The House-passed continuing resolution only extends current federal funding until Nov. 21 so the House and Senate will need to pass a new continuing resolution that extends to the end of the year or into 2026.
NAPO continued our full court press to keep our Law Enforcement and Crime Victims Support Package in the Fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The House Judiciary Committee has until today to approve amendments to remain in the NDAA. The package consists of eight bipartisan, NAPO priority bills: Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, Improving Police Critical Aid for Responding to Emergencies (CARE) Act, Retired Law Enforcement Officers Continuing Service Act, the Strong Communities Act, the Protecting First Responders from Secondary Exposure Act, the Reauthorizing STOIC Act, the Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act, and the PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act.
NAPO sent letters to House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), and all House Appropriations Committee members, urging them to keep the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office an independent office within the Department of Justice (DOJ). Several Committee members share NAPO's concerns; it is just a matter of getting Committee leadership to agree that Congress should ensure COPS is not merged into the Office of Justice Program (OJP).
NAPO continues to press members of Congress to support and cosponsor our priority legislation. View NAPO’s latest “Legislative Positions” document, available on the NAPO website under “Washington Report”.
NAPO Director of Governmental Affairs Andy Edmiston participated in the Public Sector Healthcare Roundtable’s Annual Conference, which included public sector health plan leaders nationwide and healthcare sector stakeholders who discussed issues facing public sector employer health plans.
Participate in safeguarding the future of your plan and retirement by registering for NAPO’s Annual Pension & Benefits Seminar at Ceasar’s Place in Las Vegas, Nevada Jan. 25-27, 2026. Register by Dec. 1, 2025 for early bird prices.
For more information on these and other legislative issues, please click here for the Nov. 7, 2025 Washington Report.
