28th
The House and Senate left DC for their two week Easter/Passover/Spring recess with the House spending approx. $15B more without paying for it. This money is spent in two different bills; one totally $5B for FEMA and other agencies that have spent money on disasters in the US and the second, totally almost $10B, for an extension of the Unemployment benefits, COBRA health benefits and postponing the 21% cut due to hit DRs who treat medicare patients. The Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, deemed both of these bills an “emergency” and thus avoided having to find offsets and pay for the costs of these bills. If an emergency designation is attached to legislation, then the newly enacted “pay-go” rules don’t apply.
Both bills landed in the Senate chamber like a ton of bricks. GOP Senators insisted on paying for the Unemply. bill and the Senate leadership ignored the FEMA funding bill. Since the Senate Dems weren’t interested in paying the $10B tab for the Unemployment benefits, the bill is on HOLD in the Senate awaiting their return from the two week recess. The Leadership has teed up a roll call vote on whether they can bring up and begin the debate on the Unemployment benefits bill @ 5:30 on Monday, April 12. This vote takes 60 Senators to move onto the bill for debate. Meanwhile, the Unemployment benefits will expire April 5 and the cuts will go into effect on the same date, while the Senate and House are on their recess.
Should Congress have adjourned with this bill in flux? Let your voice be heard on GradeGov.com
Stay tuned,
GradeGov
