At the end of July the House recessed until August 31; the Senate followed suit on August 8, until after Labor Day. Congress left for five weeks with many unresolved, pressing issues, including government funding and a budget bill that could pull in NAIFA issues in September.
On government funding, Congressional Republicans set in motion legislation that would prevent a government shutdown should lawmakers fail to fully fund the government’s discretionary spending by October 1, the start of the new fiscal year. However, the House and Senate took different approaches to the issue (details in story below), and so final resolution of government funding issues will wait until after Labor Day. Whether some kind of temporary government funding bill will be enacted well before the September 30 “drop dead” date (or the government at least partially shuts down) remains to be seen.
Also still in process with resolution punted until after Labor Day is another all-GOP budget reconciliation bill. That measure is stuck pending resolution of the government funding initiative. Details on reconciliation are in the story following the government funding item.
Other high-profile and controversial issues are also competing for attention in September. These include some key nominations (including the nominee for Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary, Keith Sonderling), reaction to the war against Iran (including funding for it), restoration of foreign spy authority, new federal voter identification rules, and others.
Prospects: September looks like it will be an intense time for Congress, with a strong probability that at least some “second tier” issues will find a home in one or another must-pass piece of legislation. Among these possibilities are legislation to make long-term care more accessible/affordable and tax issues that may involve finding offsetting revenue raisers. Affordability issues, especially relative to Medicare/Medicaid reforms and health insurance costs, are also potentially in the mix. Legislation to address “rampant fraud, waste and abuse” in Medicare and Medicaid is also in play. We will keep you informed.
NAIFA Staff Contacts: Diane Boyle – Senior Vice President – Government Relations, at dboyle@naifa.org; Mike Hedge – Senior Director – Government Relations, at mhedge@naifa.org; or Jayne Fitzgerald – Director – Government Relations, at jfitzgerald@naifa.org