New Home Visiting Research, Looking For Passage
Last week HHS released new research on the impact of the Home Visiting Coalition or Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program. The Senate has been considering a bill that would extend the
House OKs Budget Reconciliation on Tax Cuts, Entitlement Cuts In 2018
On Thursday, October 26, the House went along with the Senate budget resolution by a vote of 216-212. That resolution will allow for the fast-track reconciliation process that will allow for a deficit increase of
President’s Health Emergency on Opioids While House Looks at CARA
On Thursday, the President announced a declaration of a national health care emergency. The declaration is intended to make it easier to use current programs and funds to better address the opioids situation. The
House Sets Potential Conflict on CHIP Reauthorization
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced the House would vote on its legislation to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), HR 3921. That announcement drew the ire of minority Democrats.
Funding for CHIP expired
DREAM Act Gets Some Hill Support
Patty Murray joined the leaders of education unions on Tuesday to call on Congress to pass the DREAM Act, S. 1615. The bill would offer a pathway to lawful permanent residency for an estimated 1.7
ACA Hits Headwinds From Prominent Republicans
Last Tuesday, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) announced they had reached a comprise package on modest changes to the ACA. The deal, worked on for several weeks, would extend for two
Hatch-Wyden Introduce New Child Welfare Bill, Committee Report
On Tuesday Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced a new bill, S. 1964, the Child Welfare Oversight and Accountability Act of 2017. Its basic features are a
Washington Post-60 Minutes Follows Opioid Story with Panel-Forum Discussion
Three days after the Washington Post Story and the October 15, 60 Minutes report on Congressional interference with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) effort to go after the opioid wholesale drug distributors, the
Senate Passes Budget Resolution, Step Closer to Tax Reconciliation
On Thursday, October 19, the Senate adopted their budget resolution by a vote of 51 to 49. As a result, Congressional Republicans are one big step closer to having the legislative tool they need to
EITC for Former Foster Youth
CWLA has endorsed H.R. 2681, Foster EITC Act, sponsored by Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL). The Davis proposal would add an important expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for youth who were in foster
Concerns on the Need for CHIP Reauthorization
Funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) expired on September 30, and the health coverage of nearly 9 million is currently at risk.
After reaching a bipartisan agreement on policy that extend CHIP for five
President Continues Assault on ACA
The President on, Thursday October 12, took two actions designed to weaken the individual insurance market. Although the first action of the day, an Executive Order to deregulate markets, drew the most initial attention,
Energy and Commerce Committee on Opioids
On Wednesday the House Energy and Commerce Committee took its turn at focusing on the Opioids epidemic. This and other recent Congressional hearings are not without irony since they come against a backdrop of efforts
GAO: HHS Action Needed on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
Earlier this month, the GAO issued a report, Federal Action Needed to Address Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. The GAO report was the result of a House bill included in last year’s CARA Act passed last
Differences on Child Care Tax Credit and Children’s Credit Being Muddled
The Washington debate of tax reform is in the process of confusing and potential combining two separate and significant tax credits, the Child Tax Credit and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. The first
Administration Seeks Deal Breaker on DACA
The Administration on late Sunday October 8, released their priorities for any immigration reform as part of any deal on preserving the current protections for DACA students. Under Secure the Border by Deterring and
CHIP Moves Forward in House and Senate Committees
On Wednesday, both the Senate Finance Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee moved their version of a CHIP reauthorization. The Senate bill sponsored by Senate Finance Chair Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Ranking Member
Budget Resolution Slams Spending and Programs and Opens Tax Fast-Track
The two 2018 budget resolutions adopted in the House and Senate Committees have two broad themes: larger tax reductions and larger budget cuts. The budget resolutions are different in the extent of their cuts with
HELP Committee on Opioids: For Every Overdose There are 60 Addicts
Last Thursday the Senate HELP Committee focused on the topic of spreading opioid addiction and what current Administration leaders and departments were doing about it. One of the starkest statistics (from the CDC)
HHS Has New Number Two Leader
Last Wednesday, the Senate gave approval to Eric Hargan to the position of Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. As the official second in command
Home Visiting Approved by House, Waiting on Senate
Now that the House has acted on their version of a home visiting reauthorization (the Increasing Opportunity and Success for Children and Parents through Evidence-Based Home Visiting Act (H.R. 2824)), and the Senate has their version of the
DACA Debate More Confused After Senate Hearing
On Tuesday, October 3, the Senate Judiciary Committee held its first hearing since the President’s controversial executive order reversing President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood arrivals, or DACA. That order was quickly followed by a
Administration Seeks $29 Billion in Disaster Funds
The Administration is seeking $29 billion in emergency/disaster relief funds. Of the total $16 billion will replenish the disaster insurance fund. The rest is mainly for Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico, with approximately a half billion
Next: Tax Cuts and Budget Resolution On Fast Track
Last week Congressional Republicans released an outline of their tax reform proposal for 2017. They hope to move the package on a fast track both in process and time. The process part is that
Debate Over Next HHS Leader Could Be Challenge
On Friday evening September 29, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price stepped down unexpectedly during the controversy over his private chartered flights. The resignation marks the first cabinet secretary to leave the Trump