An analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) of a Senate Republican plan to essentially repeal most of the current provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) without a replacement shows that it would increase the number of uninsured individuals by 32 million by 2026.
The same CBO review projects that individual premiums would increase by 25 percent in 2018 and eventually double by 2026, relative to projections under current law.
Both House Appropriations and Budget Committees are expected to be busy today.
The Budget Committee is scheduled to take up its FY2018 budget resolution today and the committee action is expected to last for most of the day. While the budget resolution is not law, it will serve as a fiscal blueprint for FY2018. Among the provisions of interest in the budget resolution include:
The spending level called for discretionary defense programs for FY2018 will require change in law. Even if the budget resolution is adopted in committee, questions remain as to whether it will pass the entire House.
With respect to the appropriations process, the House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to take up and clear today the last two spending bills for FY2018, including the Labor-HHS-Education bill, which funds biomedical research and education programs.
In related news, the House Republican leadership announced that it plans to bring up a “minibus” package of four spending bills to the floor next week for consideration. The package will include the following bills: Energy and Water Development; Defense; Legislative Branch; and Military Construction- Veterans Administration.
Office of Federal Relations will provide further details.
Yesterday evening, two more Republican Senators– Mike Lee of Utah and Jerry Moran of Kansas– jointly announced their opposition to the Senate healthcare bill that was being push forward by the Republican leadership. Their statements increased the number of Senate Republicans opposing the bill to four, with Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky being the other two. With all Democrats opposed to the bill, the announcements from Lee and Moran have forced Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to abandon his plans on the bill.
Last evening, Leader McConnell announced that, as a result, he will pursue a straight repeal of the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) with the repeal kicking in after two years to allow, in theory, lawmakers and the White House to draft and implement a new plan to prevent individuals from losing coverage. It remains to be seen how much support such a strategy has.
The Senate is expected to confirm Pat Shanahan as deputy Defense secretary this afternoon following a vote on cloture yesterday.
Here is a selection of committee meetings taking place on the Hill this week.
TUESDAY, JULY 18
Senate Appropriations
ENERGY-WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS
July 18, 2:30 p.m., 192 Dirksen Bldg.
Subcommittee Markup
House Science, Space & Technology
NASA PLANETARY FLAGSHIP MISSIONS
July 18, 10 a.m., 2318 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing
WEDNESDAY, JULY 19
House Natural Resources
MAGNUSON-STEVENS FISHERY CONSERVATION REVIEW
July 19, 2 p.m., 1324 Longworth Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing
House Science, Space & Technology
ENERGY INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY
July 19, 10 a.m., 2318 Rayburn Bldg.
Full Committee Hearing
House Ways & Means
TAX REFORM
July 19, 2 p.m., 1100 Longworth Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing
THURSDAY, JULY 20
House Small Business
RURAL TELEHEALTH SERVICES
July 20, 10 a.m., 2360 Rayburn Bldg.
Subcommittee Hearing