Last week’s debate and fire on repealing the Affordable Care Act was bookended by two narrow votes of 50 to 51 and 49 to 50 with three senators being the key actors. In between the fewer than a dozen votes cast it became clear that a replacement plan was not possible and any reforms or
Before the House of Representative left for the summer break on Friday, members approved a partial FY 17 appropriations bill, left a budget resolution for an uncertain future and waited on the Senate for signals on both issues. On Thursday, the House gave final approval to a package of five “security” bills on a partisan
Last week Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL) announced the introduction of a second House bill to reauthorize the home visiting program. The HomeVisiting Works Act of 2017 would extend the program for an additional five years and, similar to the goals of the Home Visiting Coalition, it would gradually increase funding to $800 million in year
On Tuesday, July 25, Voice for Adoption sponsored a briefing on Capitol Hill to raise the importance of adding in resources and funding for the Adoption Opportunities program and the Adoption and Kinship Incentive fund. During the hour, long session participants heard from the two congressional cosponsors of the event, Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) and
The last week of head-spinning on health care was best represented by the various positions of the President throughout the week. By week’s end the path forward is still uncertain with the Senate parliamentarian delivering the biggest blow Friday night but Senator McConnell (R-KY) determined to vote on Tuesday. The effort to move forward on
If not for the continuing controversy of the health care debate, the issue of a House budget resolution would probably have been the headlines coming from Washington this past week. The Republican leadership introduced their resolution early in the week and it aligns with many of the rumors that have been leaked over the past
The House Appropriations Committee acted on a Labor Department-Health and Human Services-Education Department bill last Wednesday. For the most part, the smaller child welfare programs that are dependent on the annual appropriations were flat funded. CAPTA state grants, CAPTA discretionary grants, Child Welfare Services, Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF), we're all funded at last
The Dream Act of 2017 has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Called the United We Dream Act, it would offer a route to permanent legal status for millions of undocumented immigrant youth. The bill comes as ten Attorneys General sent a letter to Donald Trump
The second of the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and Opioid Crisis will be held via teleconference on Monday, July 31, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. EST. The Commission, Chaired by Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) is behind schedule. It met for the first time on Friday, June 16. The Commission was established to develop interim
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will delay a critical key procedural vote this week after Senator John McCain (R-AZ) announced he would be absent due to a medical procedure. That will not prevent McConnell from trying to get the necessary votes but will likely delay it at least a week. Once the Senate approves