Government shutdown continues through a second week. The Senate remained in session, while Speaker Johnson (R-LA) kept the House out of session for another week, maintaining that his chamber had already passed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government and that the ball is in the Senate’s court.
As in week one, the Senate continued to vote on the same two stopgap spending bills, both of which continued to fail to advance:
The expiration of the APTCs remains the biggest point of contention between the parties, with Democratic leadership holding firm that they will not vote for a CR unless the enhanced APTCs are extended. While some Republicans have expressed support for extending the enhanced APTCs, and informal negotiations continue among rank-and-file Republican and Democratic senators, Republican leadership has reiterated that they don’t intend to negotiate until the government reopens.
As the shutdown drags on, federal workers and military service members grow closer to the possibility of missing their first paychecks. A draft memo from the Office of Management and Budget this week also argued that federal employees are not guaranteed back pay. These dynamics factor in to the partisan rhetoric that continues to dominate Capitol Hill.
Senate confirms HHS nominees. Using its new rule to permit a large swath of nominees to be approved en bloc, the Senate voted 51 – 47 along party lines to confirm more than 100 nominees for posts in the Trump administration, including:
Senate Aging Committee discusses pharmaceutical supply chains. Witnesses at the hearing highlighted the fragility of the US drug supply chain and the lack of domestic active pharmaceutical ingredient sources. They proposed public-private partnerships, US Food and Drug Administration reform, and investment incentives to rebuild pharmaceutical independence. While senators on both sides of the aisle voiced concerns about US dependence on China and India for essential medicines, Republican members focused on national security risks and reshoring pharmaceutical manufacturing through federal purchasing power, tariffs, and country-of-origin labeling. Democratic members focused on strengthening regulatory oversight, improving transparency, and supporting strategic investment in domestic production.
Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearing on patent reform. During the hearing, witnesses agreed that changes should be made to the patent system, especially in light of the growth of AI, but disagreed on whether the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA) was the best option. The committee members present emphasized that PERA would resolve uncertainty caused by differing legal judgments on patent eligibility. The reforms outlined in PERA would apply to the patent system at large and would impact the pharmaceutical industry.
Senate HELP Committee examines AI. During the hearing, committee members focused on how AI can be adopted in healthcare settings, cybersecurity issues in healthcare data, and ethical issues regarding AI use in healthcare decision-making. Senators from both sides of the aisle expressed concerns about the potential harmful effects AI can have on children and expressed a desire to understand the best way to regulate AI without impeding advancements.
CDC approves vaccine schedule changes. The CDC adopted the following changes to the COVID-19 and measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine schedules recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on September 19, 2025:
Immunization schedules inform insurance coverage and whether patients need a prescription to receive the vaccines. In a social media post, Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill called on vaccine manufacturers to also replace the combined measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine with individual monovalent vaccines.
While the updated COVID-19 vaccination schedule removes the blanket recommendation for adults, it lessens restrictions on access to the vaccination during pregnancy. The new guidance applies to all adults with no carveout for pregnant women, effectively undoing an earlier decision by HHS Secretary Kennedy to remove the COVID-19 vaccine from the immunization schedule for healthy pregnant women altogether. Now, CDC advises pregnant women, like other adults, to participate in shared clinical decision-making on whether to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.
Following the CDC’s adoption of these changes, ACIP announced a plan to review the safety and efficacy of the childhood vaccine schedule, including the timing and order of vaccines and the safety of aluminum in vaccines.
The Senate announced the evening of October 9, 2025, that it would go out of session through the holiday weekend and is scheduled to return to session on October 14, 2025. As of publication, the House had not formally announced its schedule, but is expected to remain out of session subject to a 48-hour call to return to Washington. Given this, the shutdown will extend into at least next week.
