A partial government shutdown took effect over the weekend, after lawmakers were unable to agree to a package by the January 30 deadline. On Friday, the Senate passed a package that funds nearly all remaining government agencies through September 30, with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the House is expected to vote on the package as early as tomorrow.
Last month, the House passed a package with six appropriations bills, which bundled DHS funding with Defense, Labor-HHS, Transportation-HUD, Homeland Security, Financial Services, and State-National Security. Senate Democrats said they would not vote on the DHS package as passed by the House, but negotiated to pass the other five spending bills with a two-week continuing resolution to fund DHS through February 13. This deal was passed by the Senate on Friday by a vote of 71-29. Since this deal is different from the House-passed version, it must be voted on again by the House.
On health care, the package includes an increase of $210 million in discretionary funding for HHS as opposed to the significant public health spending cuts sought by the administration. It also would extend Medicare coverage of telehealth services for two years, which Argentum has been advocating. Additional health related funding includes a $100 million increase at the National Institutes of Health, $41.5 million at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and $31.5 million for the Administration for Community Living, all geared at Alzheimer’s research that Argentum has supported through the LEAD coalition.
House Democrats opposed fast-tracking the package by suspending the rules, forcing the bill to go through the Rules committee this afternoon, with a final vote expected tomorrow. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has indicated the caucus will oppose the deal, including House Homeland Security ranking member Bennie Thompson (MS), although a number of key Democrats including Steny Hoyer (MD), Jim Clyburn (SC) and New Democrat Coalition Chair Brad Schneider (IL) have urged support. House Republicans will need near-unified support to pass the package, with the chamber currently split with 218 Republicans to 214 Democrats.
The DHS portion of the package will be negotiated over the next two weeks, with Democrats seeking numerous demands including barring federal immigration enforcement officers from wearing masks, requiring agents to wear identification, and tightening requirements for judicial warrants for immigration operations.
Notably, the Legislative Branch appropriations have already been fully funded so there are no interruptions to Congress’s operations. This also means a prolonged shutdown will not have an impact on Argentum’s Public Policy Fly-In, slated for February 25.