Health Care Maybe Alexander-Murray or Nothing
What is next for ACA repeal may be clearer later this week when and if Congressional leaders decide whether to include in the 2018 budget resolution an instruction to repeal the ACA. Such a provision
Home Visiting Approved by House, Waiting on Senate
On Tuesday, September 16, the House passed the Increasing Opportunity and Success for Children and Parents through Evidence-Based Home Visiting Act (H.R. 2824). Support was not overwhelming at 214 to 209. The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home
CHIP Extension Waits Longer
By mid-week House Republicans were throwing cold water on the idea that they would move the CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) before the fiscal year and the authorization ran out.
The debate and chance to act
Commission on Opioids
Last week, the President’s Commission on combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis held its third formal public hearing. The Commission which had an original date of October 1 for recommendations has delayed that date
Graham-Cassidy Bill has Serious Shot at Passage
The Senate is expected to vote on the Graham-Cassidy-Johnson-Heller Medicaid block grant/per capita cap this week, with shifting odds of passage. Over the weekend, more questions than answers were being raised about its prospects, especially
CWLA Comments To Commission on Opioids
Last week, CWLA submitted comments to the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. The comments focus on how the Commission needs to include certain actions that can help address the
Resolution on Kinship Care Month Introduced
On Friday, September 22, Congressperson Karen Bass (D-CA), along with Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), introduced resolutions designating September as National Kinship Care Month.
CWLA has long supported efforts to more formally
Home Visiting Gets Boost from Senate
On Tuesday, September 19, Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the “Strong Families Act of 2017,” reauthorizing the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV).
The legislation was also
CHIP Extension Hopes
On Monday, September 18, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) released their bill to extend CHIP for five years. The Keeping Kids’ Insurance Dependable and Secure (KIDS) Act
Budget Resolution and Tax Cuts
Around the same time that the latest repeal of the ACA was gaining traction, Senate leaders lead by Budget Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-TN) indicated that Republican leadership had come to an agreement on a
Home Visiting Moves In Committee on Partisan Vote
On Wednesday morning and evening, the House Ways and Means Committee debated and passed a re-authorization of the home visiting program. The legislation, the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, named the
Health Care: Bipartisan ACA Fix, Repeal and Replace, Or Crashing
Last week offered a range of possible directions on health care in 2017: move toward a short-term fix of the ACA, repeal it and replace it with block grants or re-ignite the battles over universal
DACA Yes, No, Maybe
On Wednesday, September 13, the President and Democratic leaders appeared to line up on a deal that would restore protections for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) children and youth. The initial description indicated the
Murray-Scott Release Child Care Expansion Bill
On Thursday, September 14, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) introduced the Child Care for Working Families Act. The new legistaion attempts to set down a strong marker for what is truly
New Census Data Shows Some Progress on Poverty, Health Care in 2016
On Wednesday, September 13, the U.S. Census Bureau released new data on poverty and health care coverage for the year 2016. According to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau, 18 percent of children
Implications Of Short Term Budget-Debt Deal
Last weeks’ presidential-congressional agreement on a December 8, extension of the debt ceiling and FY 2018 appropriations has both political as well as practical effects.
For starters FEMA receives some much-needed immediate funds to help address
HELP Chair Wants Small Bipartisan ACA Fix This Week
On Wednesday, September 6 the Senate HELP Committee began an initial series of four hearings over two weeks. Chairman Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) struck a strong bipartisan note at the beginning of the hearing indicating
President Threatens Immigration Status Through DACA Repeal
On September 5, the Trump Administration announced the eventual elimination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival or DACA. The official announcement was delivered by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. It begins another “repeal and replace”
House Home Visiting Vote Possible this Week
The House Ways and Means Committee may meet this Wednesday to mark up a bill to reauthorize the home visiting program. Two House bills have been introduced to extend the Maternal Infant Early Childhood Home
HHS Appropriations for FY 2018 Adopted By Bipartisan Senate Committee
On Wednesday and Thursday of last week the Senate Appropriations Committee acted on their version of an FY 2018 Labor-HHS-Education bill. Now that the Congress has approved (on Friday) a CR that extends all FY
Title IV-B and Child Welfare
Child Welfare Services (Title IV-B part 1) and Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF, Title IV-B part 2) expired last year and they have a temporary extension through the end of this fiscal year. As
NWLC Report Examines Child Care Policies and Practices
Last week the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) released a new report, The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014: Uneven State Implementation of Key Policies.
The report follows and analysis how states
Congress Returns with Longer List For Fall
Congress is back and the list of priorities have grown due to Hurricane Harvey. That list may have become easier or more difficult because of the need for more disaster relief. That all remains to
Immigration: DACA, Refugees and Restrictions
The President is expected to announce his decision on the fata of “DACA” sometime today.
In June, Homeland Security announced what appeared to be an extension of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Later the
Title IV-B and Child Welfare
Child Welfare Services (Title IV-B part 1) and Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF, Title IV-B part 2) expired last year and they have a temporary extension through the end of this fiscal year. At