Yearly Archives: 2004
- CHN: Congress Passes Massive Spending Bill
On Saturday, November 20 the House and Senate cleared a massive spending bill that funds nine of the thirteen appropriations bills for fiscal year 2005. The final conference report (HR 4818 , H Rept 108-792) contains $388.4 billion in discretionary spending, including money for the Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Read More »
Posted in Budget and Appropriations, Child Nutrition, Disabilities, Early Childhood Education, Education and Youth Policy, Food and Nutrition, Health, Health Care Reform, Housing and Homelessness, Immigration, Income Support, Job Training and Education, Labor and Employment, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Medicaid, Poverty and Income, Social Services Comments Off - CHN: IDEA Reauthorized
By a strong bipartisan margin, Congress agreed to renew the law that grants 6.7 million children with disabilities the right to a public education. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides federal funding to local school districts to ensure that children with disabilities have equal access to free public education in the “least restrictive Read More »
Posted in Disabilities Comments Off - CHN: White House, Congress Fail to Save $1.1 Billion in Expiring SCHIP Funds
By failing to act before the end of the session, Congress is allowing $1.1 billion in earmarked funds for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to revert back to the U.S. Treasury. Although the President claimed on the campaign trail that he supported insuring more of the nation’s 8.4 million uninsured children, he did Read More »
Posted in Health, Health Care Reform, Medicaid Comments Off - CHN: TANF Extended for Six Months
For the eighth time since 2002, Congress temporarily extended the law authorizing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) just before it was set to expire. This extension will run through March 31, 2005. No policy changes were made; the extension allows funding to continue so states can operate their TANF programs under the provisions of Read More »
Posted in Income Support, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Comments Off - CHN: FDIC Considering Rules That Would Gut Community Reinvestment Act
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is considering making rule changes that would weaken significantly the Community Reinvestment Act, which could have a potential devastating effect on affordable housing investments in rural areas. Financial institutions holding less than $1 billion in assets would no longer be evaluated by the FDIC on their investment or services Read More »
Posted in Housing and Homelessness Comments Off - CHN: HUD Appropriations Bills Clears Senate Panel; Next Steps Unclear
The Senate Appropriations Committee marked up the FY05 Veteran’s Affairs/Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill (S 2825) on September 21. None of the programs in the bill are funded below FY04 levels. This is in contrast to the House appropriations bill, which inflicted substantial cuts to all HUD programs with the exception of Section 8 housing Read More »
Posted in Budget and Appropriations, Housing and Homelessness Comments Off - CHN: Congress Passes Continuing Resolution Until November 20
Because lawmakers were unable to complete work on appropriations before the October 1 start of the 2005 fiscal year, Congress agreed to a continuing resolution on Wednesday, September 29 ( HJ Res. 107 ). The continuing resolution funds the government until November 20. In the meantime, appropriators will work to put together an omnibus spending Read More »
Posted in Budget and Appropriations Comments Off - CHN: Congress Passes Yet Another Tax Cut — Future Generations To Pick Up Tab
Congress agreed to yet another package of middle class tax cuts on Thursday, September 24 ( HR 1308 ). Like previous tax cuts passed in 2001 and 2003, the $146 billion the bill was not paid for. The Working Families Tax Relief Act is awaiting the President’s signature. Three popular middle class tax cuts that Read More »
Posted in Tax Policy Comments Off - CHN: Children’s Health Insurance Funds Expiring
On September 30 $1.1 billion in earmarked funds for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) reverted back to the U.S. Treasury in spite of broad bipartisan support to redistribute the unspent funds to the states. This amount could provide health coverage for 750,000 of the nation’s 8.4 million uninsured children for one year. This Read More »
Posted in Health, Health Care Reform Comments Off - CHN: Congress Unlikely to Complete Appropriations Bills Before Target Adjournment
With the October 8 target adjournment date fast approaching, any chance of Congress completing 13 separate appropriations bills has melted away. Nonetheless, appropriators continue to push bills through committee and onto the floor. The Senate has passed just two appropriations bills (Defense and Homeland Security) while the House has voted on all but two spending Read More »
Posted in Budget and Appropriations Comments Off
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