Overview: This week, the Senate worked on short-term spending bills in order to avoid a government shutdown on Sept. 30. In the Senate, all 12 appropriations bills have passed out of committee with bipartisan support. The Senate is also seeking to pass a supplemental spending package to support Ukraine, border security and disaster relief. The situation in the House (which was not in session this week) is completely the opposite with only one appropriations bill passing out of a committee in a partisan vote and only 11 days remaining in the House legislative session.
FY2024 appropriations/supplemental funding: CCUSA sent a letter to Congressional leadership requesting supplemental funding for crucial domestic programs that support vulnerable communities across the country.
CCUSA also joined in a Circle of Protection letter to President Biden and members of Congress urging that, in any continuing resolution and appropriations decisions, there should be no cuts to programs that help people living in poverty.
CMS proposes new rules on nursing homes: Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule to address staffing in nursing facilities. In addition to plans for a new $75 million program to train and retain long-term care staff, the proposal would require nursing homes to: provide 33 minutes of care from a registered nurse per day to every resident; have a registered nurse on site at all times; and extend 2 hours and 27 minutes of care from a nurse aide per resident everyday. However, the proposal would allow CMS to exempt facilities if the agency determines that a home is unable to meet staffing requirements due to a labor shortage. Should the rule go into effect, it would give most nursing homes three years and rural facilities five years to comply. CCUSA is reviewing the proposal and considering a potential response in coordination with Catholic Charities agencies that operate nursing homes.
HHS proposes new rule to update Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a new proposed rule to update Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in programs. The proposal would update the Act to prevent disability-based bias by previous revisions, restoring broader protections, and clarifying certain aspects of Section 504 in health and human settings. Some of the areas addressed include: prohibition of discrimination based on a person's disability when making medical decisions; detail of how child welfare programs should administer services such as parent-child visitation, reunification, child placement and foster parent assessments; accessibility for web and mobile; and standards for accessible medical equipment. CCUSA is reviewing the rule for a potential response.
Economy: In the week ending September 2, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 216,000, a decrease of 13,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 228,000 to 229,000. The 4-week moving average was 229,250, a decrease of 8,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 237,500 to 237,750.