Congress Seeks to Advance Government Funding Bill

Negotiations over legislation to fund the government continue on Capitol Hill. The U.S. Senate is set to vote to move a continuing resolution forward this week, but debate continues over whether Senator Manchin’s Energy Independence and Security Act, which would speed up the process to get permits for energy projects, will remain in the bill.

Aside from the energy permitting provision, there are addition pieces of the legislation ANCOR is watching. The legislation contains an extension of the increased federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for Puerto Rico and the territories. However, the increased FMAP continues only until December 16, meaning that additional extensions must be included as part of Congress’ omnibus legislation later this year.

Another policy that has been agreed upon by Senate leaders is a five-year reauthorization of user fee agreements for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The inclusion of this reauthorization as part of the continuing resolution means that policy riders that were originally part of the standalone FDA reauthorization legislation, such as the provision to ban the use of electric shock devices for people with disabilities, will not be included. Instead, they will have to be negotiated for inclusion as part of the next spending package.

The continuing resolution legislation must pass both the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives by September 30.