Policy Watch: Government Shutdown and Updates on Education

As of midnight September 30, the government entered a shutdown. Agencies across the federal landscape will be functioning at a reduced capacity while the shutdown is ongoing. The Department of Health and Human Services expects to furlough roughly 40% of staff during the shutdown. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will similarly continue to function at a reduced capacity as 47% of HRSA staff will be furloughed. Several programs will be paused during the shutdown, including the Vaccine Injury Program. AACN will continue to monitor the impacts of the federal shutdown as the situation evolves. Please reach out with questions or concerns through AACN's Share Your Voice portal.

Federal Policy Updates

• Reminder: Registration for the 2026 Student Policy Summit is open now. This two-day conference held in Washington, DC is open to baccalaureate and graduate nursing students enrolled at an AACN member institution.
• On September 22, AACN signed onto a letter with 164 organizations in support of the Joint Associations Group on Indirect Costs (JAG), thanking appropriators and urging them to strengthen language in the final spending bills supporting JAG’s work and prohibiting the Office of Management and Budget from instituting arbitrary caps on federal support for research costs.
• Senator Murray (D-WA), Representative DeLauro (D-CT-03), and Senator Baldwin (D-WI) released a statement calling on Education Department to reverse unilateral funding cuts to critical education programs.

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