Senate Passes Budget Resolution, Continuing on Path towards Tax Reform

On Thursday the Senate passed its budget resolution along partisan lines (51-49), enabling it to move on to the next step necessary for it to bring up tax reform through the budget process (which allows bills to pass on a simple majority). The next step will be to negotiate an agreement between the House and Senate budget resolutions, which contain differences because the Senate version has a $1.5 trillion deficit which the House version does not have. Because tax reform is a priority issue for the GOP, the House is expected to comply with the Senate version, which contains an amendment meant to appeal to House budget hawks. After that, we can expect tax reform language to be introduced.

As mentioned in previous WICs articles, ANCOR is monitoring the tax reform discussion closely because it could directly or indirectly involve cuts and caps to Medicaid to relieve pressure on the federal budget. This pressure could be caused by the loss of revenue caused by loss of federal revenue due to tax cuts. Currently President Trump and Congressional leadership are working to get tax reform done by the end of 2017.

We continue to encourage ANCOR members to use this time to educate their Members of Congress on the importance of Medicaid to the safety, well-being, and ability to participate in society of people with disabilities.