Last week Congress was also talking tax cuts and tax reform. How it ends up could have a big impact on entitlements. It is expected that the second reconciliation—which hasn't been written yet until the next year’s budget resolution is adopted for FY 2018—will be used for a tax cut package. There will likely be
On Thursday, February 16, Congressman Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) became the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. That likely means a stripped down first year budget for the new Administration will be released in March. That budget will give the first significant and detailed insight into what the new Administration will do on spending
Last week resulted in the release of a range of health care statistics as well as some Administration actions that could greatly impact the ACA. First the numbers. National Health Interview Survey, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data on the decline in the percentage of uninsured in the
Sign your state and national organization onto a letter in support of preserving the Social Services Block Grant by February 17th! The Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) which provides critical protection and supports to children, youth, older adults, and people with disabilities, is expected to be a prime target for elimination in the 2017 Congress. Unlike other
On Friday Congressman Tom Price (R-GA) was approved by the Senate for the Department of Health and Human Services. The vote was 52 to 47, he was quickly sworn in and his two biggest priorities are likely to be a strategy to repeal the ACA and putting together an HHS budget. Congressmen Mick Mulvaney (R-SC)
The new Budget Director Mulvaney, when and if he gets confirmed will be tasked with two key decisions that could create enormous budget pressure on children’s programs. Currently 2017 funding runs out at the end of April. We are operating on flat funding through that CR. Somewhere between the time decisions are made on funding
Last week several key appointments to the cabinet made progress toward Senate confirmation. It appears that both Congressman Tom Price (R-GA) for the Department of Health and Human Services and Congressmen Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) for the Office of Management and Budget are on schedule for eventual approval by the full Senate however getting there has
Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WS) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) sketched out a 200-day agenda for Republican members of the House and Senate. The schedule was laid out at a closed-door retreat for Republicans held in Philadelphia from Wednesday night through Friday. Although the sessions were not public, details were being widely reported. The
The Affordable Care Act was the hot topic at the Republicans retreat this past week. And while Senate and House Republicans were looking for more specificity and clarity from the Administration they didn't get it when the President Trump spoke to them last Thursday. Instead there were reports through the Washington Post and other publications
Medicaid came up during the Senate Finance Committee hearing for the appointment of Congressman Tom Price (R-GA) to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services. In the questioning, he defended the proposals that have been offered to convert Medicaid into a block grant but he never committed to supporting one. When pressed by