HHS Spending Bill Moves Forward, Abortion-Ban Amendments Left Behind
The Department of Health and Human Services spending bill was advanced by House Democrats, excluding the Hyde Amendment to ban federal funding for abortions. Meanwhile, three senators promote a Medicaid-like plan to cover states that refused expansion while Democrats finalize a spending bill that would include Medicare dollars.
The Hill:
HHS Spending Bill Advances Without Hyde Amendment
A key House subcommittee on Monday cleared a spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) without including a decades-old rider prohibiting funding for abortions, kicking off what is likely to be a long and bruising fight. For the first time in 40 years, the Hyde Amendment was excluded from the spending bill introduced and then cleared by the House Appropriations labor and health and human services subcommittee. The HHS bill also does not include the Weldon Amendment, which has been in place since 2005 and prohibits denying federal funding to entities that do not want to cover or provide abortion services. (Weixel, 7/12)
Axios:
House Democrats Advance Spending Bill Without Hyde Amendment
It is expected to be approved by the full House panel before going to a vote. It sets up abortion access as a key focus of negotiations on government funding between Democrats and Republicans, who could block the bill in the Senate if there are no changes to the measure.. (7/12)
Politico:
Free Lunch, Immigration, More Medicare: What's In The Mix For Democrats' 'Go-Big' Bill
Top Democrats are finalizing the bones of a multitrillion-dollar partisan spending plan designed to ride alongside a bipartisan infrastructure deal — and attempting to squeeze as many priorities as they can into their GOP-free shopping cart. Masterminded by Senate Budget Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the public blueprint is expected as early as this week, setting an ambitious spending ceiling for passing the dream policies that won’t make it in any bipartisan infrastructure package. Because Democrats only get one more crack this year at passing a bill that doesn’t require any support from Senate Republicans, every lawmaker in the majority party is lobbying to push their priorities into the final package passed using the filibuster protections of so-called budget reconciliation. (Scholtes, Miranda Ollstein and McCrimmon, 7/13)
AP:
Senators Seek Medicaid-Like Plan To Cover Holdout States
Three Democratic U.S. senators from states that have refused to expand Medicaid want the federal government to set up a mirror plan to provide health insurance coverage to people in those states. Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff of Georgia and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin are introducing the bill Monday, they told The Associated Press. Congressional Democrats are pushing for a coverage expansion in upcoming legislation. (Amy, 7/12)
