Senate Begins Lengthy Reconciliation Process

As reported by The Hill: “Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) [convened] a meeting with all 11 Democratic members of the Budget Committee Wednesday to begin the process for passing a budget resolution, paving the way for Democrats to pass a major infrastructure bill on a party-line vote.” We encourage our members to read the full article to understand some of the challenges surrounding this process, including resistance from the progressive wing of the party.

Why it matters: A core priority for ANCOR is for any congressional jobs and infrastructure package to include long-term funding for HCBS. We are actively engaged with key congressional committees on this topic. At this time, moderate Democratic Senators are expressing concerns about the cost of combining long-term HCBS funding with other large infrastructure investments. However, there are multiple points in the reconciliation process where HCBS funding could be inserted. We will alert our members when it is time to engage.

The timeline: Reconciliation is expected to take all summer because it involves many steps, including markup in the Senate Finance Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee. A final vote is not likely to occur this summer, though must take place prior to the end of the fiscal year on September 30.

Between now and September… We encourage you to educate your congressional delegation on the consequences of chronically underfunding Medicaid disability supports on both the direct support workforce and on the well-being of people with disabilities writ large. ANCOR members can reach out to Sarah Meek, Senior Director of Legislative Affairs, for assistance with setting up virtual meetings with congressional offices.