The CR includes a temporary patch for the CHIP program. The $2.8 billion is intended as an extension that would shore up states through March 2018. Critics question whether funding will last that long. It is expected that 2 million kids will continue coverage because of the small patch. Several states have been sending out
Taxes First Congressional leaders and the President hope to make quick action of their tax bill early this week with the House voting Tuesday and the Senate on Wednesday. That timetable could be adjusted slightly depending on the health status of two Senators but Senate Republicans are looking confident in getting almost all 52 votes
The House attached an earlier CHIP reauthorization on their latest CR—a CR that is likely to fall flat. The House bill is similar to a CHIP reauthorization that passed earlier this fall by a largely partisan vote. The bill (HR 3922) extends CHIP for five years. Democrats opposed the bill because of the way it
Although some states, running their own health care purchasing exchanges, have kept their open enrollment going, HHS shut down open enrollment on Friday, December 15 converting what had been a 12 week enrollment period down to 6 weeks. For people living in the 39 states that rely on the federal site, reports were rampant of
The publication, Politico made news this week with a profile piece that reported that Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WS) will retire after this Congress. There have been some denials although the profile painted a portrait of a Speaker who wants to exit politics soon. If that is the case it is not expected that Ryan will
A new letter in support of Senator Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) call for a doubling child care funding is now circulating. CWLA has signed onto the appropriations request in an effort to highlight the dramatic unmet need. The funding request would increase appropriated child care funding by $2.9 billion, a doubling of current appropriations. In 2014
Congress made quick action of a two-week continuing resolution (CR) on Thursday, December 7, extending FY 2018 funding to December 22, 2017. Kicking the proverbial can down the road, congressional leaders now have two more weeks to negotiate a laundry list of items that were supposed to be completed last September 30. The House approved
Building on earlier comments by the President, on Wednesday, December 6, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WS) said, “We’re going to have to get back next year at entitlement reform, which is how you tackle the debt and the deficit.” The irony of the remarks appears to be missed by many congressional leaders who are drafting a
The House and Senate set up a Conference Committee to resolve differences formally, but the actual meeting of this Committee is unlikely to be where real decisions are made. A Conference Committee includes membership from both houses and both parties but when they do meet it will be likely to be to approve what has
As leaders met at the White House it became no clearer whether young people effected by the President’s repeal of DACA will get relief by the end of 2017. On Tuesday, December 5 a letter was sent to the Speaker by 34 House Republicans calling for action on DACA by the end of this year.
