Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Work Requirements Remain At Crux Of Debt Negotiations
NBC News: Tougher Work Requirements For Federal Aid Programs Pose Obstacle In Debt Limit Talks
As House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden seek an agreement to raise the debt ceiling, Republican demands to impose tougher work requirements for federal aid programs have emerged as an obstacle to finding consensus. The debt ceiling bill House Republicans passed last month, which was negotiated between GOP members and approved along party lines, would expand work requirements for some federal aid programs, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, a program that provides grocery aid. The proposal has drawn a backlash from many Democrats who oppose such provisions. (Kapur and Doyle, 5/16)
Military.Com: Republicans Vow To Boost Veteran Spending Amid Debt Ceiling Fight
The Department of Veterans Affairs would get an $18 billion budget bump next year under a plan released by House Republicans on Tuesday amid a knockdown, drag-out political fight over raising the U.S. debt ceiling. The GOP bill would give the VA about $153 billion in discretionary funding in 2024, up from $135 billion that the department got this year -- and slightly above the $143 billion the Biden administration requested for next year. (Kheel, 5/16)
The Washington Post: Negotiators See Progress On Debt Ceiling, As Biden’s Liberal Allies Worry
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) sounded confident that an agreement could be reached ahead of a June 1 deadline to raise the nation’s borrowing limit or risk a global economic catastrophe. Biden gave a similar assessment, though major differences remain between the two sides before a deal can be struck. (Stein, Siegel, Sotomayor and Goodwin, 5/16)
The Wall Street Journal: Democrats To Launch Discharge Petition, Aiming To Force Debt-Ceiling Vote
House Democrats plan to begin collecting signatures Wednesday for a discharge petition to raise the debt ceiling, a long-shot parliamentary maneuver designed to circumvent House Republican leadership and force a vote. (Wise, 5/17)
AP: Job Cuts, No Social Security Checks: How Consumers Could Be Pinched By A US Government Default
All the hand-wringing in Washington over raising the debt limit can seem far removed from the lives of everyday Americans, but they could end up facing huge consequences. Millions of people in the U.S. rely on benefits that could go unpaid and services that could be disrupted, or halted altogether, if the government can’t pay its bills for an extended period. If the economy tanked due to default, more than 8 million people could lose their jobs, government officials estimate. The economy could nosedive into a recession. (Superville, 5/16)
