News: We got our hands on the House Republican leadership’s schedule for May. There’s a lot to cover here, so please bear with us.
First, the big news: House Republicans plan to have their reconciliation package on the floor the week of May 19. This isn’t entirely surprising as it’s the last week the House is in session before the Memorial Day recess.
But this does throw cold water on the idea that the reconciliation bill will be on President Donald Trump’s desk before Memorial Day. As we reported in Tuesday morning’s edition, that’s where this discussion was heading anyway. No one believed Memorial Day was a real deadline. We’ll see if they can get this on the floor by the week of May 19.
Also: The working title of the GOP reconciliation package is the “Renewing the American Dream Act.” We’ll see if this title – RADA or something like that – passes muster with the Senate parliamentarians. Or more importantly, the Brander-in-Chief, President Donald Trump.
Now let’s talk about April and May.
Next week: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who plans the floor schedule, has five Congressional Review Act resolutions on the docket for next week.
– H.J. Res. 87, which seeks to stop California’s efforts to force truck manufacturers to sell zero-emission trucks.
– H.J. Res. 88, which overturns the EPA’s waiver that permits California to ban the sale of gas-powered cars by 2025.
– H.J. Res. 89, another resolution that targets California, this time going after the EPA’s decision to allow the Golden State to tighten nitrogen oxide engine emission standards.
– H.J. Res 78, which repeals the endangered species listing for the longfin smelt.
– H.J. Res 60, which repeals a rule prohibiting the use of off-road vehicles and ATVs on 24 miles of park roads in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
Week of May 5: The House will consider the White House’s rescissions package, as we reported in Monday’s edition. This Trump administration package will attempt to claw back $9.3 billion in previously approved spending.
The House will also take up H.R. 276. This is Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) bill to officially rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Also on the docket: H.R. 1789. This legislation by Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) allows former presidents and vice presidents to move state cases to federal courts. Wonder where he got that idea!
Week of May 12: This is “Police Week” in the House, which lines up with National Police Week.
The House has three bills it will consider:
– H.R. 2240. Rep. Tim Moore’s (R-N.C.) bill to require the attorney general to collect and make public data about attacks on police officers has bipartisan support.
– Rep. Don Bacon’s (R-Neb.) bill would allow law enforcement officers to extend their concealed carry license if they continue to serve their communities.
– H.R. 2255 is Fry’s bill to allow federal law enforcement officers to purchase their service weapon at market value.
Medicaid: Now let’s talk about one of the biggest issues facing House Republicans – what are they going to try to do to Medicaid.
The Energy and Commerce Committee is wrestling with policy proposals to reach its reconciliation target of $880 billion in spending cuts, much of which will have to come from Medicaid.
Democrats have been hammering Republicans over potential Medicaid cuts for months. Moderate GOP members have warned they won’t vote for a final reconciliation package that has deep slashes to benefits.
Still, there’s only so many ways for E&C to reach $880 billion in cuts. Recently, we’ve heard chatter about possible changes to the federal funding match rate that states get for participating in Medicaid. E&C said there’s no final decisions on policies yet.
“We are still in the process of exploring options throughout our jurisdiction and putting together options for our members to examine,” E&C spokesman Matt VanHyfte said. “With that in mind, we are not yet ready to comment on policy-specific items that may or may not be included in the final bill text.”
Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) told Fox Business on Monday that Republicans are considering lowering the federal match rate, shifting more costs to the states. In states like Arizona, that may trigger an end to the Medicaid expansion, leaving many uninsured. We’ll note, however, that Scott isn’t on E&C.
Broad changes to the match rate, often referred to as FMAP, are unlikely to pass the House. Some moderate Republicans have said they won’t support lowering the match rate.
“We’re not going to support anything that would lower the FMAP, and we’re not going to support anything that puts caps on traditional Medicaid,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) told reporters earlier this month.
But a narrower proposal may be on the table. Republicans, months ago, floated cutting D.C.’s federal Medicaid reimbursement, which may be on the table now for reconciliation. Axios first reported this.
Under the measure, which was first circulated in January, D.C.’s federal Medicaid reimbursement would fall to 50% from 70%. This faces fierce pushback from the D.C. Hospital Association. It also doesn’t raise much money – estimates say around $8 billion over 10 years.
D.C. officials are already warning of cuts to emergency services and law enforcement because of lack of action from Congress on a budget issue, so this would further squeeze the District.
