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Legislative Network Alerts Alert Number 147 December 23, 2005 For Your Information Both House and Senate Adjourn/Budget Cuts Coming To: Members of the Legislative Network From: Patricia Leahy, Director of Governmental Affairs For those who read on the run, this Washington Wire deals with several issues of importance to The National Rehabilitation Association, including budget cuts to almost ALL discretionarily-funded programs in the Defense Appropriations bill, including perhaps certain Titles of the Rehabilitation Act and budget cuts to Medicaid and other programs that serve the poor, the working poor, and children and adults with disabilities. We will also discuss the status of the Senate Workforce Investment Act (WIA) bill. The House and Senate stand in adjournment until January 31, 2006, and January 18, 2006, respectively. The House and Senate adjourned yesterday until the Second Session of the 109th Congress. Before Members of Congress left, however, several appropriations bills were passed, including the Conference Reports to accompany both the Defense Appropriations bill and the Labor-HHS-Ed Appropriations bill (hereinafter referred to as Labor-H). First, the Defense Appropriations bill was the vehicle, as we mentioned in an earlier Washington Wire, that found a number of controversial issues attached to it in the Senate. Among those controversial issues, was a 1 percent across-the-board cut in most discretionarily-funded programs, which may affect certain Titles of the Rehabilitation Act (Rehab Act). As soon as we have additional information in this particular regard, we will advise you immediately. Most Titles of the Rehabilitation Act are discretionarily-funded except for Title I, which as you know, is mandatorily-funded and was not affected by the 1 percent across-the-board spending cut. The 1 percent spending cut exempts veteran’s medical care. The 1 percent cut was necessary, some in Congress insisted, to help pay for funds (29 billion) appropriated for Hurricane Katrina. Also attached, but ultimately dropped from the Defense Conference Report, was an ADDITIONALl 2 BILLION DOLLARS in aid to the poor, the working poor, which include children and adults with disabilities, to help pay for skyrocketing home heating oil and natural gas. This program, known as LIHEAP, The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, is seriously underfunded given that oil and gas prices have soared to record prices and may have the consequence of poor families having to heat their homes, pay for prescription drugs, or simply having food on the table, with a lot less money to do so. The LIHEAP Program, as we understand it at this time, will also be subject to the 1 percent across-the-board cut, which means that the LIHEAP Program, like so many other discretionarily-funded programs, will actually lose money and be funded at less than the 2005 level. Turning to the Budget Reconciliation bill, which was passed in the Senate late Wednesday President Cheney, who in his capacity as Vice President also serves as President of the Senate, broke the tie vote (50-50) on the bill, which would cut federal spending by nearly 40 BILLION over 5 years. The final vote on the Budget Reconciliation Conference Report, however, will have to await the return of the Members in January or February, because House and Senate Conference Reports must be identical and they were not at the time the Congress adjourned. Among the funding cuts in this bill, Medicaid, the Federal/State health care program for poor Americans, will require higher co-payments and premiums. The bill would also allow States to scale back some benefits and will tighten eligibility for nursing homes. This bill would also change the way government pays for drugs and make it easier for low-income families with children with disabilities to keep health benefits (The Family Opportunity Act) and The Money Follows the Person Legislation which ultimately became a subtitle under The Family Opportunity Act). Both these programs are funded through Medicaid. We will have additional information on both these issues, once we have had a chance to read the respective bills that passed this week and last week. Additional information on this bill and the Labor-H appropriations bill can be found by accessing: Turning to the Senate WIA bill, as far as we aware at this time, the Senate WIA bill retains at least one 'hold' on it preventing it from coming to the Senate Floor for a final vote before sending both bills to Conference. As you know, the Senate and House WIA bills are quite different and a conference between the two will prove challenging, to say the least. Members of the Senate HELP Committee want the bill to come to the Senate Floor under a legislative procedure known as Unanimous Consent (UC) which basically allows no amendments to be offered on the Floor. Some in Congress, however, want to offer amendments to this bill and that and other issues have spawned at least one hold on the Senate bill. Because this was the First Session of the 109th Congress, both the House and Senate WIA bills will simply roll over to the Second Session of the 109th Congress, which for all intents and purposes, will not substantially begin until February of 2006. All information within is deemed reliable at this time and date. |
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