Federal Budget Tug O’War Underway as Bills, Amendments Hit House Floor

ANCOR is sharing these articles by Politico Pro because it is important for our members to stay aware of how the Congressional discussion around the federal budget evolves. Most funding for disability supports comes from Medicaid, which is funded through the Labor-HHS bill. However, because other agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education oversee issues relevant to people with disabilities, it is important for advocates to follow most government funding processes. All these bills have been affected in the past by overall budget caps, which are also discussed below.

As written by Politico Pro on specific funding bills:

“Amendments to the House’s five-measure minibus started to flow into the House Rules Committee today, ahead of the Friday morning deadline for filing those proposed tweaks.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of amendments are expected to be filed before the 10 a.m. cutoff for lawmakers to submit changes they seek to the bill, H.R. 2740 (116), which the House plans to begin debating next week and pass the week of June 17.

That $987 million package will combine a handful of the 12 annual spending measures: Defense, H.R. 2968 (116); Labor-HHS-Education, H.R. 2740 (116); Energy-Water, H.R. 2960 (116); State-Foreign Operations, H.R. 2839 (116); and Legislative Branch, H.R. 2779 (116).

The Rules Committee will wade through the submitted amendments early next week, deciding which will get debate time on the floor.

So far, more than a dozen amendments have been proposed, mostly by Republicans.”

As written by Politico Pro on budget caps overall:

“Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said tonight that negotiators could reach a deal within the next week to raise budget caps and prevent severe sequestration cuts over the next two years.

[…]

The Alabama Republican and his Democratic counterpart, ranking member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), both said they will be flying together to former Senate Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran’s (R-Miss.) funeral Tuesday and will be discussing budget caps on the plane, as well as issues like President Donald Trump’s emergency aid request for border security and humanitarian assistance.

[…]

Shelby said negotiators don’t have another formal meeting scheduled after their confab last month but that congressional leaders want to arrange a meeting when Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin returns from his trip to Europe with the president.

[…]

If a deal to raise budget caps is struck, the chairman said, spending leaders can quickly write funding bills for fiscal 2020, which begins in less than four months.”

Additionally:

“Top Senate Republicans will meet with President Donald Trump’s negotiating team this week to discuss whether the party can pass government funding bills amid stalled bipartisan budget negotiations with congressional Democrats.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and other Republican appropriators will meet with acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and acting director of the Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought on Tuesday afternoon, according to three people familiar with the matter.”