Senate Legislation

Senate Companion for Foster Youth and Driving Act Introduced

On October 3rd, Senators Hassan (D-NH), and Young (R-IN) introduced the bipartisan Senate companion bill to the Foster Youth and Driving Act, originally introduced in the House by Representative Danny K. Davis (D-IL) and Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE). The Senate companion bill makes no changes to the House bill. As previously covered, H.R. 7932 Foster

Include the Expanded CTC in Year-End Tax Bills

On September 23rd, 2022, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) released a new paper highlighting the success of the Expanded Child Tax Credit in reducing childhood poverty and the need for Congress to come to a bipartisan agreement to extend this important policy. The paper notes that, "the expansion helped lower child poverty

Important Legislation for Children and Families Still Pending

Major child welfare legislation that is up for reauthorization this year is still pending, with negotiations continuing among the committee staff and leadership. The House has passed the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), but the Senate HELP committee continues to negotiate its version of the CAPTA Reauthorization bill. Both the House and

President Biden Signs Reconciliation Package Into Law

On Tuesday, August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, marking a significant win for his administration that meets several of his campaign promises. As previously reported, this spending bill was negotiated primarily between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) and focuses on climate change, healthcare,

Senate Passes Reconciliation Bill with Tie Breaking Vote from Vice President Harris

On Sunday, August 7th, 2022, the Senate passed its historic spending bill that will address climate change, healthcare, and taxes on a strictly party-line vote, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the final vote to break the 50-50 tie. This reconciliation package was negotiated primarily between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Joe

Senators Schumer, Manchin Release Reconciliation Deal

On Wednesday, July 27th, 2022, Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced that they had reached a deal on a budget reconciliation package, two weeks after negotiations on climate change fell apart. The news came as a surprise to many colleagues, as the two Senators met in secret to discuss the details and

Senate Democrats Post Appropriations Bills

On Thursday, July 28th, 2022, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) released the twelve Senate Appropriations bills. These bills spend nearly $1.7 trillion for fiscal year 2023 and represent the priorities and stances of the Senate Democrats; appropriators still have not reached an agreement on top-line spending numbers, and Republican leaders have indicated that

Reconciliation Marches Forward

The Senate continues to work on a slimmed-down budget reconciliation package that would extend ACA subsidies for two years and allow Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug costs on certain drugs. Senate leadership expects to vote on the package before the August recess.

Children’s Safe Welcome Act

On July 13, 2022, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) Representative Karen Bass (D-CA), and Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the bicameral Children’s Safe Welcome Act. This bill establishes new standards to ensure that the safety and well-being of migrant children in government custody are prioritized, embedding best practices into every stage of

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