The Senate ended last week’s session early due to the delayed committee vote on the Supreme Court vacancy, but before they departed on Tuesday they gave final approval of a Defense and Labor-HHS-Education appropriations package. The now-Senate approved two-bill package includes a continuing resolution (CR) for the rest of the appropriations that don’t get approved by October 1. The CR would extend funding for the remaining seven appropriations bills until December 7, 2018. The House was out last week for the Yom Kippur Holiday so they will have their chance for final approval this week.
If the House approves as expected and if the President signs it, it likely means the House of Representatives will wrap-up their pre-election session for the rest of the fall. The appropriations bill also extends the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) into December.
The final bill includes $85 million for CAPTA with language directing HHS to assist states in implementing Plans of Safe Care. It maintains the increased Adoption-Kinship Incentive funds at the elevated level of $75 million; provides an extra $20 million for the Regional Partnership Grants (RPGs) this time for expanded family-based substance abuse treatment; and continues funding for the fifty-states and tribes with $20 million in Kinship Navigator grant programs before states tap into potential Family First Act funding.
As always the wild card is what the President will do even though he has given assurances to Congressional Republicans he will sign the deal. Occasionally he has hinted (as he did during the final March appropriations was passed) that he may have second thoughts. If he vetoed a package it would shut down the government for at least a few days unless the Congress overrode a presidential veto—an unlikely scenario.
For a chart of the final funding comparison look here.
