Federal Updates

The County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) of California released the following statement from Executive Director Cathy Senderling-McDonald today after President Biden signed an executive order that takes the first steps toward reversing a Trump administration rule that can result in immigrants who receive aid from certain public programs being denied entry to the country and/or being barred from obtaining lawful permanent resident status (i.e., a green card):

There was a lot of action this week on the Affordable Care Act Repeal. Today (March 8, 2017) the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees are marking up the GOP bill repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Only 36 hours after being made public, the American Health Care Act is being rushed through the committees without the normal cost estimate prepared by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The CBO analysis would also likely indicate the effects on insurance coverage.

The new Congress convened on January 3 and began immediately the process to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). That effort will likely crowd out any other health and human services legislative activity in the near term, given that the committees with ACA jurisdiction are the same ones responsible for overseeing most human services programs, including the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and IV-E foster care.

Congress returned September 6 for an abbreviated fall schedule. They must pass an extension of federal funding before the federal fiscal year (FFY) ends on September 30. That measure will likely contain current level funding of all programs until sometime in December, leaving a lame duck session of Congress to finalize FFY 2017 spending. The short-term spending bill will also include extensions of programs otherwise expiring, including the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

Congress returned June 6 after the Memorial Day break and will be in session for the remainder of the month. In May, the House Ways and Means Committee adopted six bills amending sections of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF/CalWORKs) program and later this week it may consider a child welfare reform measure. Also this week, the Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee will consider it’s a fiscal year 2017 spending bill. And, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan released the House Republican Poverty Task Force policy agenda today.

The House has returned after a two-week recess. Before leaving town, the House Ways and Means Committee adopted a measure to terminate the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) and make it more difficult for immigrant to receive the federal child tax credit. 

Today (February 9), the Obama Administration released its proposed $4 trillion budget for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2017.  Many of the proposals are similar to last year, but there are some new proposed initiatives that are outlined in the following update, including some child welfare investments.

Congress is in recess until September 8. When the House and Senate return, they face a October 1 deadline for completing all 12 federal fiscal year (FFY) 2016 spending measures. The House Ways and Means Committee may also mark up a reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Across Capitol Hill, there may be a Senate Finance Committee markup sometime this fall on a child welfare services reform measure.

A House of Representatives’ hearing on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and a draft Senate paper outlining potential child welfare reforms were the major human services developments over the past month. Additionally, the House and Senate agreed upon a budget for the first time in six years. The budget is a blueprint which does not have the force of law, but does set spending targets and makes assumptions for possible cuts in mandatory spending and/or entitlement programs.

Budget Process Begins Soon

Next week, the House and Senate Budget Committees are expected to adopt their respective federal fiscal year (FFY) 2016 budget resolutions. The budget resolution serves as a blueprint for the appropriations committees to refer to as the year progresses. It also will give some indication on whether the Republican controlled House and Senate will perhaps consider any reforms to entitlements such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The 114th Congress convened last week and is organizing its committees and developing work plans. Any semblance of beginning the year on a bipartisan note was squashed quickly, with the House adopting pieces of legislation to proceed on building the Keystone pipeline and to change a key provision in the Affordable Care Act defining full time employment for purposes of health coverage at 40 instead of 30 hours per week. The Obama Administration has issued veto threats on both measures.