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Budget/Appropriations
Upon returning from recess on September 5, Congress has four weeks to pass 12 annual spending bills for FY2018 (as funding runs out October 1), and a little more time to address the debt ceiling. Sources say a short-term continuing resolution (CR), which maintains current funding levels, may be passed to avert a government shutdown. However, the President has threatened to allow a shut-down if the funding bills do not include money to build a border wall.
Over the summer a budget resolution was passed out of the House Budget Committee and the House approved four of twelve spending bills; however, both budget and spending are now stalled. The budget resolution contains reconciliation instructions that paves the way for the Republican tax reform plan. Disagreements continue on cuts to mandatory spending in areas such as Social Security, Medicaid, and education.
Upcoming Hearings
The Senate HELP Committee will hold two hearings early in September: "Stabilizing Premiums and Helping Individuals in the Insurance Market for 2018" for Governors taking place on September 7 and Stabilization for State Insurance Commissioners on September 6. AUCD will monitor these hearings.
Health Care
AUCD joined the American Academy of Pediatrics and March of Dimes in signing the House and Senate appropriations letters supporting $165 million in FY2018 funding for the NIH Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. The letter addressed to leadership of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, Education explains that the ECHO program funds research activities in 44 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and brings together 84 existing longitudinal cohort studies of pregnant mothers and children. By using studies already in place and that have already proven successful, the ECHO program is poised to quickly and efficiently deliver important insights into child development.
Tuesdays with Liz: Disability Policy for All
In this week's edition of Tuesdays with Liz: Disability Policy for All, Liz interviews Lael Mohib, who is the wife of the Afghanistan Ambassador and passionate about work with people with disabilities. Liz and Lael spoke about what life is like in Afghanistan for people with disabilities. Last week, Liz interviewed Eve Hill, an attorney at Brown, Goldstein & Levy who previously worked for the Division of Civil Rights during the Obama administration. Liz and Eve spoke about Civil Rights during the current time.
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For updates from our Executive Director Andy Imparato, follow @AndyAUCD.
For more policy news, follow Kim on Twitter at @kmusheno
For definitions of terms used in In Brief, please see AUCD's Glossary of Legislative Terms
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