Abortion Provision Still A Thorn In Spending Bill Negotiations As Shutdown Deadline Looms
Most major funding disputes have been settled, but lawmakers are holding firm over an abortion measure designed to make sure that Planned Parenthood receives a lion's share of federal family planning grants.
The Associated Press:
Shutdown Looming, Congress And White House Seek Budget Deal
Congressional leaders and the White House are pressing to strike an accord on a $1.3 trillion catchall spending bill, though disputes remain over immigration, abortion and a massive rail project that pits President Donald Trump against his most powerful Democratic adversary. An agreement by Monday would pave the way for a House vote on Wednesday. Action is needed by midnight Friday to avert another government shutdown. (3/19)
In other news from Capitol Hill —
CQ:
Dispute Over Emergency Supplies Slows Pandemic Preparedness Bill
A bipartisan pandemic-preparedness bill is proving controversial because of a dispute over who should oversee the nation’s emergency medical supplies. Some Democrats worry that a proposal to transfer authority over the emergency stockpile from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to another office within the Health and Human Services Department risks politicizing its governance and could give industry outsized influence over what is purchased. (Siddons, 3/19)
