Senate Delaying Funding Bills Pending Budget Deal

ANCOR is sharing this item by Politico Pro because it is important for our membership to keep track of the overall progress of the federal budget process. The federal budget includes funding for Medicaid, which funds the majority of disability supports. So far the House passed legislation that covers the Medicaid budget among other agencies, but that legislation is pending in the Senate.

As written by Politico Pro:

“Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby said this evening that Senate spending leaders will not start marking up fiscal 2020 funding measures before a broader budget deal is reached.

The chairman had previously considered the idea of ‘deeming’ temporary funding limits to get started on appropriations work while congressional leaders and the Trump administration continue to discuss overall budget caps for fiscal years 2020 and 2021. But Shelby (R-Ala.) said tonight that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants Senate spending leaders to hold tight until there is a breakthrough in deciding those overarching limits.” [ANCOR note: here is a definition and background information for “deeming.”]

Bloomberg Government Briefing has also reported that: “Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is seeking to arrange another budget and debt ceiling meeting with [U.S. Speaker of the House] Pelosi [D-CA], according to Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). McConnell told his conference during the weekly lunch meeting that Mnuchin would be calling Pelosi, Shelby said. He told reporters he doesn’t know when a meeting will occur, but that McConnell says he is ‘hopeful of a deal’”.