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Overview: Various House committees held markups this week related to budget reconciliation, unveiling and approving details of their planned spending from paid leave to health and education. The House Ways and Means Committee voted to advance portions of their budget reconciliation including a paid leave plan that would allow most workers to collect at least two-thirds of their earnings if they are absent for reasons including childbirth or illness. House committees will continue to hold markups next week and will aim to have all their bills approved by Sept. 15, a deadline set by Speaker Pelosi. Separately, Congress must pass legislation to raise the debt ceiling, which Treasury Secretary Yellen said the U.S. will hit in Oct., and legislation to fund the government by Sept. 30. On Thursday, President Biden dramatically expanded vaccine requirements to some 100 million Americans including those employed at workplaces with over 100 employees or by employers that receive Medicare, Medicaid or Head Start funding and a few other programs. Economy: Thursday's report from the Labor Department showed the number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 310,000, a pandemic low and a sign that the Delta variant has yet to lead to widespread layoffs. The number of applications has fallen steadily since topping 900,000 in early January, reflecting the steady reopening of the economy after the pandemic recession. Budget Reconciliation: Various House committees held markups this week on budget reconciliation, unveiling and approving details of their planned spending from paid leave to health and early education. House and Senate Democrats are still debating about the size of the $3.5 trillion package-a number opposed by Republicans and by moderate Democrats-and whether and how they will pay for it with new tax increases. Senator Manchin (D-WV) last week published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal saying that he "won't support a $3.5 trillion bill, or anywhere near that level of additional spending, without greater clarity," citing the $28.7 trillion national debt and "inflation tax" caused by an overheating economy. Those comments followed a vow from Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) that she would also not support $3.5 trillion. Some programs unveiled this week include: - Universal Paid Leave: 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for most Americans.
- Affordable Housing: House Democrats also unfurled plans to spend roughly $320 billion to improve public housing and help low-income Americans stay in their homes, a series of legislative proposals lawmakers (led by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif) are set to consider next week.
- Subsidized Child Care and Preschool: $450 billion to carry out an expansion of federal support for child care and universal pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds, $82 billion to build schools, and $2 billion for R&D grants to minority colleges.
- School Lunch: $35 billion in child nutrition, increasing the number of children receiving free school meals by nearly 9 million, updating school kitchen equipment and providing "Summer EBT" food benefits to low-income children.
- Medicaid Expansion: Expands Medicaid to the 12 states that have not expanded.
- Medicare: Expanded dental, vision and hearing benefits for seniors.
- Expand Home and Community Based Care for the Elderly and People with Disabilities: $190 billion.
- Higher education: Gives states money to provide free tuition at the nation's community colleges, provides $1.5 billion to historically Black colleges, $9 billion to states and colleges to boost retention, increases the Pell Grant by $500 (from $6,495) and provides student aid for undocumented students.
Immigration: Today, the Senate Parliamentarian is expected to hear arguments from Senate Democrats and Republicans about the possible inclusion of immigration-related provisions in the budget reconciliation bill. These provisions, supported by CCUSA, would provide a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status holders, and agricultural workers. The Parliamentarian is not expected to rule on whether the provisions will be in order and allowed into the package until sometime next week at the earliest. Proposed Tax Increases in Budget Reconciliation: Few details have been released on the proposed tax increase in budget reconciliation, which will be the most controversial part of the legislation. Both sides are making their arguments for and against tax increases on corporations, people earning over $400K, prescription drug benefits and more. On Wednesday night, the White House circulated a NYT story that stated "the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans are the nation's most egregious tax evaders, failing to pay as much as $163 billion in owed taxes per year." Later, Kevin Brady (R-TX) ranking member on Ways and Means, went on Fox Business and called the Democratic plan "the largest expansion of the welfare state in our lifetimes, paid for with crippling tax increases on Main Street businesses." It includes hikes on anyone making over $400,000, and it increases the corporate rate. Hunger and Nutrition: The percentage of American households that were food insecure did not go up last year amid major economic upheaval due to the pandemic, according to new data released by the Agriculture Department on Wednesday. Many believe COVID relief legislation, which increased nutrition funding, helped stave off hunger. Unemployment: More than 7 million unemployed people lost their jobless benefits on Monday, Sept. 6, after federal programs expired, according to the Washington Post. Appropriations: Senate Appropriations Chairman Patrick J. Leahy is tentatively planning to mark up two more spending bills on Sept. 22, just over a week before the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1. The Appropriations Committee staff is preparing a temporary stopgap funding bill that would continue most spending at roughly current levels - with "anomalies" for certain accounts - beyond Sept. 30 to avoid a partial government shutdown. Also moving with the stopgap will be additional disaster relief and emergency spending for the resettlement of Afghan refugees in the United States requested by the White House. CCUSA has been working with the federal government and administration to resettle Afghan refugees and help with disaster relief efforts. Debt Ceiling: Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen is urging Congress to suspend as soon as possible the debt limit, which will be "exhausted during the month of October." Democratic leaders have not decided whether to attach a debt limit suspension to the stopgap or move it separately. COVID-19 Update: On Thursday, President Biden dramatically expanded vaccine requirements to some 100 million Americans including: all workers at companies with over 100 employees, all federal employees and contractors, anyone who works for a health care provider that receives Medicare or Medicaid reimbursements, any employee at a school that receives federal money from Head Start and a few other programs. On the same day, the CDC reported that there were 163,164 new COVID-19 cases and 1,647 deaths, with 955,909 new cases in the past week. Across the country, 177.4 million people have been fully vaccinated; 208 million people have received at least one dose. The CDC is now advising that everyone, regardless of vaccine status, wear a mask indoors in public. The COVID-19 Community Corps (CCUSA is a member) is supporting vaccination across the country. Locate your closest vaccination site here. Please visit the CCUSA Social Policy/Advocacy page for updates and policy papers. Click here. |
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