Washington Posts Archive
Washington Post Archive
September 28, 2018
Washington Posts- The Latest:
GWEP Appropriations – Today, President Trump signed an $855.1 billion fiscal year 2019 spending bill (HR 6157) which included the full-year Labor-HHS-Education and Related Agencies and Defense measures, and a continuing resolution to keep other agencies functioning through Dec. 7, 2018. This bill contains GWEP funding of $40.737 million for the full FY 2019 year, which is the same level as FY 2018. The also temporarily extends the Violence Against Women Act.
There is some negative news on the funding front, however. LHHS Secretary Azar has announced plans to use his transfer authority to reallocate up to $266 million in FY 2018 funding to pay for the Unaccompanied Alien Child program. The reallocations will include:
- $15.857 million from HRSA of which $101,843 is taken from geriatrics programs;
- $87.269 million from NIH of which $6.048 million is taken from NIA;
- $5.199 million from the Administration for Community Living, including programs for individuals with disabilities and aging programs.
Although many advocacy groups and Members of Congress are very unhappy with this approach, at this time it appears that it will be difficult to stop these transfers.
GWEP Reauthorization – Based on NAGE meetings with Hill staff this week, it appears that the Senate HELP Committee is moving toward a mark-up (consideration) of the Collins/Casey bill (S. 2888) in the next few weeks, possibly as early as the week of October 8. Nothing has been scheduled yet, and we still have not seen the bill that would reauthorized other parts of Title VII, but we see this as a positive development.
Thank you and have a great weekend!
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
September 18, 2018
Washington Posts- The Latest:
Today, the United States Senate passed the conference report for the fiscal year 2019 appropriations for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Related Agencies, and Defense (H.R. 6157). The House will turn to the bill next week when they return from a district work period (recess). See details below in yesterday’s post.
Thank you.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
September 17, 2018
Washington Posts- The Latest:
The House and Senate Conference Committee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies has come to agreement on Fiscal Year 2019 appropriations levels. The bill must still pass the full House and Senate, which is likely the week of September 24. The Conference Agreement includes $40.737 for the GWEP listed as “Geriatric Programs” under HRSA. This is the same amount that both the House and Senate bills included. The bill includes a $2 billion increase for NIH.
The bill, called a minibus, also includes the Department of Defense spending, and a short-term (till December 7) continuing resolution to keep the rest of government going while agreements are made on several other appropriations bills. As you now, the fiscal year ends on September 30.
Here are links to the related documents:
From the House: Committee on Appropriations Legislation
Report text: Conference Report
(HRSA page 220)
Explanatory Statement: Joint Explanatory Statement of the Committee of Conference
(starting on pages 419 and 499) (ACL starting on page 465)
One-page summary: FY 2019 Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Bill
From the Senate: Defense, Labor-HHS-Education Minibus Conference Report Filed
Thank you.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
August 28, 2018
Washington Posts- The Latest:
GWEP Reauthorization Update – As you may recall, the full House passed the GWEP and GACA reauthorization bill, (H.R. 3728) – the Educating Medical Professionals and Optimizing Workforce Efficiency and Readiness (EMPOWER) Act, on July 23.
On the Senate side of the Capitol, things have been slowly moving forward this summer. The Senate is back in town considering nominations for judges and appointments to federal agencies this week, and they may turn to the opioid legislation after Labor Day.
So, there has been no action on Senators Collins’ and Casey’s stand-alone GWEP/GACA reauthorization bill – S. 2888, the Geriatrics Workforce Improvement Act. It is likely to be included in a bill that Senators Reed and Enzi plan to introduce in the near future which will look a lot like the House passed EMPOWER Act. Catherine Carrico is working to schedule a meeting with Senator Enzi as soon as his calendar allows, and you may recall that Phil Clark has already met with Senator Reed about our reauthorization.
Hill staff tell us today that the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP) is planning on moving both the Title VII and Title VIII bills at the same time later this fall. But committee staff remain very busy with preparations for the opioid legislation going to the full Senate. More when we know it!
Thank you!
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
August 23, 2018
Washington Posts- The Latest:
Senate passes LHHS Appropriations bill – This is H.R. 6157, a combined package of the Senate Defense (S.3159) and Labor-HHS-Education (S.3158) FY 2019 appropriations bills.
Here is the report just in from The Hill:
“The Senate on Thursday approved a massive spending bill funding the Pentagon and critical domestic agencies in a significant victory for appropriators and Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that could lower the chances of a government shutdown.
In an 85-7 vote, the Senate approved its third “minibus” package of spending bills.
This one was particularly important because it included funding for the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Education, which is often a difficult package because of fights over abortion and other issues. Senators were able to avoid those fights in this case.
“I am proud of what these bills contain and how the Senate has crafted them. I want to particularly thank Chairman [Richard] Shelby and Senator [Patrick] Leahy,” McConnell said ahead of the vote, referring to the top two members of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) opposed the bill.
The vote marked a victory for Senate leadership, which has not been able to pass funding for the Departments of Labor, Education or HHS, outside of an omnibus, since 2007.
Senators are scrambling to avoid needing to pass another omnibus bill, which would roll the 12 traditional spending bills into one piece of legislation, after Trump warned in March that he would not sign a similar bill again.
With Thursday’s vote the Senate has now passed nine of the 12 appropriations bills needed to fund the government past Sept. 30. The $854 billion Labor-HHS-Defense-Education bill alone accounts for roughly 60 percent of the 2019 appropriations bills.
The defense and health appropriations bills, in particular, are a lightning rod for controversial, partisan amendments from both sides.
But leadership made a deal earlier this year to avoid attacking so-called “poison pill” proposals, which would threaten bipartisan support, to the funding bills.”
Thank you.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
August 17, 2018
Washington Posts- The Latest:
Senate back in town – Most of the Senate returned this week for less than two working days, but they did tee up for next week consideration of H.R. 6157, a combined package of the Senate Defense (S.3159) and Labor-HHS-Education (S.3158) FY 2019 appropriations bills. You may recall that the full Senate Appropriations Committee passed these bipartisan bills on June 28.
In a related story, the White House and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a statement identifying things in the bill that they do and don’t like. This is based on the Administration’s budget from last February, which Congress generally ignored. The statement included the cuts to HRSA/GWEP that Congress has ignored. This statement is unlikely to change the bill.
Once the Senate passes the bill next week, the Senate and House will still have to work out differences. But the Senate is likely to prevail on much of the differences. Of course, GWEP is level funded at $40.737 in both the Senate and House bills. NAGE did meet with Hill staff again this week to renew our ongoing request to increase the funding, possibly with a floor amendment to the bill next week. This is a long shot effort.
GWEP Reauthorization Update – Not much to say about this until the Senate gets to work on its version after Labor Day.
Thank you.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
August 2, 2018
Washington Posts- The Latest:
House and Senate head home for recess/district work period – The House of Representatives left the nation’s capital last week for a five-week recess with plans to return to work on September 4. The Senate has reduced its scheduled recess but did leave town today with plans to return on August 15th.
GWEP Appropriations – When the Senate returns, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to turn to the consideration of H.R. 6157, as a combined package of the Senate Defense (S.3159) and Labor-HHS-Education (S.3158) FY 2019 appropriations bills, following disposition of several nominations. The full Senate Appropriations Committee passed these bipartisan bills on June 28. The Senate Committee has passed all of its twelve bills this year.
On the House side, the LHHS appropriations bill is not a bipartisan bill and falls about $2 billion short of the Senate bill. The full House has not yet considered the Appropriations Committee passed LHHS bill. Both the Senate and House bills include $40.737 million for the GWEP. This is the same funding level as FY 2018.
GWEP Reauthorization Update – The full House passed the GWEP and GACA reauthorization bill (H.R. 3728) on July 23. The bill, titled the Educating Medical Professionals and Optimizing Workforce Efficiency and Readiness (EMPOWER) Act, was passed under suspension of the rules without objection. The bill also authorizes several other programs in Title VII. At the same time, the House also passed H.R. 959, the Title VII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act and H.R. 1676, the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act.
The Senate has not introduced a companion bill to the House EMPOWER Act, but Senators Reed and Enzi plan to do so in the late summer or early fall. Senators Collins and Casey have already introduced a stand-alone GWEP/GACA reauthorization bill – S. 2888, the Geriatrics Workforce Improvement Act.
Thank you.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
July 23, 2018
Washington Posts – The Latest:
The U.S. House of Representatives just passed the three bills listed below, including the GWEP/GACA reauthorizations.
Thank you.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
July 23, 2018
Washington Posts – The Latest:
GWEP Reauthorization Progress – It looks like the following bills will come up on the floor in the House under suspension of the rules today or later this week. Suspension of the rules is used for non-controversial bills, but the bill must pass by a 2/3 majority of Members present and voting. But it is rare to bring a bill up this way without knowing that it will pass…so things look good.
HR 3728 – Educating Medical Professionals and Optimizing Workforce Efficiency and Readiness (EMPOWER) Act (Includes GWEP and GACA)
HR 959 – Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act
HR 1676 – Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act
The Senate HELP Committee has not yet considered similar legislation.
Thank you.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
July 16,2018
Washington Posts – The Latest:
FYI – From Senator Casey (Below)
Dear Friends:
Pennsylvania is home to more than 2.1 million people ages 65 and older and this population is projected to increase to 2.8 million people by 2030.
Our doctors, nurses, home health workers and family caregivers should have the knowledge and skill to care for our aging population. That is why I am a leader on the bipartisan Geriatrics Workforce Improvement Act, which would help train and increase the number of health care professionals that care for older adults.
We must equip our family caregivers and health professionals with the education to properly care for our loved ones, and I will keep fighting to make sure Pennsylvanians receive the affordable, high-quality care they deserve.
Sincerely,
Bob Casey, Jr.
United States Senator
Ranking Member, Senate Special Committee on Aging
NOTE: This message came with several graphic inserts including an image of Senator Casey and the bill in question, if you would like to view the message in it’s original form or would like to share it on a social network, you can view the message online:
Senior Spotlight: Tackling the Shortage of Geriatric Health Professionals.
Thank you.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
July 12, 2018
Washington Posts – The Latest:
Great News – The GWEP and GACA reauthorizations have been passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee today as part of H.R 3728. An amendment to the bill by Rep. Burgess to increase the individual GACA awards amount from $76,000 to $100,000 was approved; we supported this with AGS and EWA. In addition, Rep. Schakowsky offered an amendment that NAGE requested which states that at least the FY 2017 GWEP funding level is protected ($38.737 million) if additional funds are not provided in the future. This amendment was also passed unanimously.
The next steps are passage of this bill by the full House and consideration of S. 2888 or a similar bill in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee (HELP).
Here is a link to the mark-up and materials:
Here is the bill:
Thank you.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
July 6, 2018
Washington Posts – The Latest:
GWEP Appropriations – Here is a chart of HRSA funding for Titles VII and VII produced by the Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC) with this year’s funding so far. NAGE is an active member of HPNEC. As you know, the full Senate has not passed their bill yet, and the House bill has not been considered yet by the full House Appropriations Committee. So far, both the House and Senate bills fund the GWEP at $40.737 million for FY 2019.
HPNEC Funding Chart for FY2019
Thank you.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
June 29, 2018
Washington Posts – The Latest:
GWEP Appropriations Progress – Both the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies and the full Appropriations Committee marked-up (and passed) the LHHS appropriations bill this week. It is now ready for full Senate consideration. For FY 2019, the GWEP was level funded at $40.737 million, which is the same amount provided in the draft House bill. The House bill has not been considered yet. We have been advocating for $51 million and will continue to make the case for this increase. Going into negotiations between the House and Senate with the same amounts in each bill means that the $40.737 million is likely to be our final amount for FY 2019.
Here is the link to the Committee statement (and summary) on the bill, but the Committee report has not been released.
Senate Committee Clears FY2019 Labor, HHS, & Education Appropriations Bill
Thank you.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
June 27, 2018
Washington Posts – The Latest:
GWEP Reauthorization Passes First Stage – H.R. 3728, Educating Medical Professionals and Optimizing Workforce Efficiency Readiness (EMPOWER) Act of 2017 was passed by the Subcommittee on Health of the House Energy & Commerce Committee on June 27. This bill includes the GWEP and GACA language that NAGE helped develop, but does not provide an increase in funding. We continue to work to increase the funding level to $51 million (from current $40.737 million). H.R. 959, Title VII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2017, was also passed, along with several other important workforce bills.
Here is the link if you’d like to watch the video. Consideration of the GWEP reauthorization is at about 11:25 on the video clock.
Thank you.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
June 26, 2018
Washington Posts – The Latest:
GWEP Reauthorization Progress – H.R. 3728, Educating Medical Professionals and Optimizing Workforce Efficiency Readiness (EMPOWER) Act of 2017 is scheduled to be marked-up (considered) by the House Energy & Commerce Committee on June 27 starting at 9 a.m. This bill includes the GWEP and GACA language that NAGE supports, but does not provide an increase in funding. We continue to work to increase the funding level to $51 million (from current $40.737 million). H.R. 959, Title VII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2017, will also be considered by the committee.
The Senate GWEP/GACA reauthorization – S. 2888 – sponsored by Senators Collins and Casey has not been scheduled for mark-up in the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP), where Elizabeth Phelan from the WA GWEP recently testified.
GWEP Appropriations Progress – The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies released details of their bill this week. The bill would fund the GWEP again for FY 2019 at FY 2018 levels ($40.737 million). This is very good news given the Subcommittee proposed cutting the GWEP last year by $4 million and the President proposed eliminating the program. The Senate will mark-up their LHHS appropriations bill this week, but the details have not yet been released.
Thank you.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
May 21, 2018
Washington Posts – The Latest:
GWEP Reauthorization Progress – The GWEP Director will testify on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at 10:00 am ET. Elizabeth Phelan, M.D., M.S. who directs the Northwest Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Center at the University of Washington in Seattle will present testimony to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions in Washington, DC. The hearing titled The Health Care Workforce: Addressing Shortages and Improving Care is a step toward the HELP Committee drafting and passing a bill to reauthorize Titles VII and VIII of the Public Health Service Act, including the GWEP. Last summer, NAGE Public Policy Advisor invited HELP staff to do a site visit at the University of Washington GWEP and they were so impressed with the work being done there that they invited Elizabeth to testify.
Also, this week, Senators Collins (R-ME) and Casey (D-PA), who lead the Senate Special Committee on Aging, plan to introduce a GWEP and GACA reauthorization bill. NAGE, the Eldercare Workforce Alliance, and the American Geriatrics Society have been working with their staff for months developing the bill, which will be similar to Representative Schakowsky’s (D-IL) bill in the House.
Here is Elizabeth’s written testimony.
Testimony of Elizabeth A. Phelan, MD, MS
Here is a link to the hearing, which one can watch live on line:
The Health Care Workforce: Addressing Shortages and Improving Care
Thank you.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
April 25, 2018
We would like to thank all the GWEPs who sent AGS conference abstracts and information on your GWEP presentations at the AGS 18th Annual Scientific Meeting.
Please find our compilation of the AGS GWEP Pre-conference and Presentation Schedule for you to utilize as a guide uploaded here. There maybe some omissions (and if there is we do apologize) so please make sure you still check the AGS conference schedule.
AGS GWEP Presentations – May 3 – 5, 2018
For now please access abstracts through the AGS site at
Please note that the NAGE/NAGEC site will be undergoing up-dates and those will begin around May 1 and you may not have access to parts of the site while being up-dated.
Thank you again and please have safe travels to AGS. The NAGE/NAGEC Board looks forward to seeing you there.
Rosellen Rosich, Ph.D
NAGE/NAGEC Web Development Committee
University of Alaska Anchorage
Center for Human Development
February 7, 2018
Washington Posts – The Latest:
Appropriations – House GOP Temporary Funding Bill
The current continuing resolution expires Thursday, February 8. The House plans to quickly move a funding package today that will keep government open through March 23 and address a number of expiring programs. The bill includes the full year (FY 2018) defense funds and an increase in defense spending of $30 billion, which breaks the existing spending caps. This provision brings along the support of conservatives in the House (Freedom Caucus) but makes the bill unacceptable for Senate Democrats. The Senate is likely to modify the bill and send it back to the House before both political parties head out of town for their retreats.
Passage of this bill or a modified version would likely keep current programs, like GWEP, funded at FY 2017 levels.
The bill includes:
- The CHRONIC Care Act
- Funding for community health centers, the National Health Service Corps, and teaching health center graduate medical education for two years;
- Repeal of the Medicare pay cap for therapy services;
- Removal if the rental cap for durable medical equipment for speech-generated devices;
- Making permanent Special Needs Plans in Medicare Advantage;
- Delaying Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital cuts;
- Funding for two years quality measurement development; and
- Extending home health rural add-on pay for five years.
The bill is paid for with:
- Cuts to the Prevention and Public Health Fund ($4.85 billion); and
- Various payment reductions in home health care, non-emergency ambulance transportation, outpatient physical and occupational therapy services, and to long-term care hospitals.
Here is the summary:
https://rules.house.gov/sites/republicans.rules.house.gov/files/115/PDF/sxs_summary.pdf
Here is the bill:
http://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20180205/BILLS-115SAHR1892-RCP115-58.pdf
Here is an LCAO letter on the extender issues: LCAO extenders letters sent January 24th: http://www.lcao.org/letter-health-extenders-priorities-january-2018/
GWEP Reauthorization Progress – NAGE and the Eldercare Workforce Alliance met with Senator Reed’s staff last week. His staff continues to work on Senator Reed’s Title VII reauthorization bill, which will include the GWEP language introduced in the House by Rep. Schakowsky. Senator Collins is also working on a GWEP reauthorization bill and is coordinating with Reed’s office.
Thanks to everyone who joined the NAGE webinar last week!
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
January 19, 2018
Washington Posts – The Latest:
Budget and Appropriations – The Continuing Resolution (CR) which is keeping the federal government open for business runs out at midnight January 19. The House Republicans were able to line up votes (230-197) to pass a bill on January 18 (H J Res 125) that will extend funding until February 16 and reauthorize the CHIP program for six years. Some Republicans pushing unsuccessfully for more defense spending and border security. All but six Democrats in the House opposed the bill and in the Senate only one Democrat (Manchin) has said he will support the bill, which does not resolve the DACA/Dreamers issue or ensure parity between increases in defense spending and increases in non-defense discretionally spending. Other issues concerning Democrats include disaster funding, opioid treatment funds, Medicare extenders, funding for community health centers, home visiting centers, and therapy services.
The Senate majority leader plans to keep the Senate in session over the weekend if necessary and hold a series of votes designed to put Democrats on record voting against funding for defense spending and CHIP, particularly those from more conservative states that supported President Trump in the last election. Democrats are also attempting to use the opportunity to blame Republicans who control the House, Senate, and White House for not managing the budget, opposing efforts to fix DACA, and for planned cuts to social programs. It appears that six Republican Senators may oppose the House bill. Senator McCain is not in town. The bill needs 60 votes to move forward. Plan B may be a CR that lasts just a few days, and Minority Leader Schumer spent some time today at the White House attempting to work out a deal with the President…progress but no solution.
NAGE continues to advocate for the Senate’s current funding level for the GWEP ($38.7 million), which is $4 million higher than the House level. This would be worked out in the final appropriations bill for FY 2018, not in one of these CRs.
For more information on what a government shutdown would entail, see materials I have inserted below.
GWEP Reauthorization Progress – Senator Collins (R-ME) who chairs the Senate Special Committee on Aging, is currently working with legislative counsel to draft a Senate version of Representative Schakowsky’s Geriatrics Workforce and Caregiver Enhancement Act (H.R. 3713). We are hopeful that Senator Casey (D-PA) will be the lead cosponsor on the bill. Senator Collins is also working with Senator Reed (D-RI) who plans to do a larger Title VII reauthorization bill and include GWEP language as well. On the House side, the House Energy & Commerce Committee has still not passed the GWEP and other workforce reauthorization bills.
Government Shutdown Information
Thanks to some of our Friends of HRSA and others for this information:
HHS has released its FY 2018 contingency plan in the event of a shutdown. The contingency plan has a list of activities that will remain in operation and other that will not continue. About 50% of HHS employees will be furloughed.
Below are some highlights
Activities that would continue include:
-
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) – NIH would continue patient care for current NIH Clinical Center patients, minimal support for ongoing protocols, animal care services to protect the health of NIH animals, and minimal staff to safeguard NIH facilities and infrastructure
- HRSA– HRSA would continue activities funded through sources other than annual appropriations including the Community Health Centers, National Health Service Corps, Maternal Infant, and Child Health Home Visiting program.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) – CMS would continue key Federal Exchange activities, such as open enrollment eligibility verification, using Federal Exchange user fee carryover. In the short term, the Medicare Program will continue largely without disruption during a lapse in appropriations.
Activities that would not continue include:
- NIH – NIH would not admit new patients (unless deemed medically necessary by the NIH Director), or initiate new protocols, and would discontinue some veterinary services. NIH will not take any actions on grant applications or awards.
- HRSA– HRSA would be unable make payments for the Children’s Hospital GME Program and Vaccine Injury Compensation Claims.
- CDC – CDC would be unable to support the annual seasonal influenza program, outbreak detection and linking across state boundaries using genetic and molecular analysis, most non-communicable disease prevention programs, continuous updating of disease treatment and prevention recommendations (e.g., HIV, TB, STDs, hepatitis), and technical assistance, analysis, and support to state and local partners for infectious disease surveillance.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
December 16, 2017
Washington Posts – The Latest:
Appropriations – Government is currently running on a continuing resolution (appropriations) until December 22. The House has passed a bill to keep government running through January 19, 2018, which includes full year funding for defense appropriations, missile defense funding sought by the Trump administration, and continued funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Reports say that the Senate bill will not include the full year defense appropriations bill nor a House partisan measure to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
The final bill must be able to pass the Senate with the Democrats support, so the moderate Senate approach is likely to prevail. It is not known how long the final CR will take us into next year or whether it will include new, higher spending levels.
NAGE had meetings and calls with Hill staff over the last two weeks and continues to advocate for the Senate’s current funding level (or higher) for the GWEP ($38.7 million), which is $4 million higher than the House level.
From Our Colleagues at NDD United! – “There’s no rest for the weary this holiday season. As promised, NDD United has issued a press statement calling on Congress to oppose the CR introduced in the House this week to fund the government through January 19th. Our primary concern with the bill is the violation of parity. As written, the bill would fund the Department of the Defense through the end of the year at a rate that exceeds the caps and waving the enforcement of the cap until after the end of the CR. At the same time, it holds NDD funding at current levels. The full statement is available here.”
GWEP Reauthorization Progress – NAGE has met with Senator Collins’ Aging Committee staff over the last couple weeks to discuss her introduction of the GWEP reauthorization bill, which was introduced in the House by Rep. Schakowsky. A date for introduction has not been determined. NAGE is also working to secure support for our legislation in a larger Title VII reauthorization bill that Senator Reed is planning to introduce.
The Tax Bill – With Senator Corker now supporting the tax bill and Senator Rubio back on board, it appears the bill will move quickly next week. It is reported that the House plans to vote on December 19th and the Senate will follow probably on the 20th.
“Highlights” From Various Sources –
- The Individual Mandate under ACA is repealed
“Elimination of Shared Responsibility Payment for Individuals Failing to Maintain Minimal Essential Coverage. The conference agreement follows the Senate amendment.” (p 153) - The Orphan Drug credit is reduced to 25%
“Repeal of credit for clinical testing expenses for certain drugs for rare diseases or conditions. … The conference agreement follows the Senate amendment, but reduces the credit rate to 25 percent of qualified clinical testing expenses.” (p 282) - CBPP: Last-minute changes to the Child Tax Credit (CTC) that Republican leaders put in their final tax bill do not change the fundamental fact: low-income working families still would largely miss out on the full CTC. A full report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is available here.
- ABLE account amendments were included in the bill. See Section 11024 on page 56.
The letter from the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities to tax bill conference committee members opposing ABLE Act amendments is available here. - The medical expense deduction is not repealed. It is expanded for a two-year period.
- The tax-preferred status of private-activity bonds that are used to finance affordable housing is preserved.
- The Johnson Amendment was removed from the bill. It would have given churches and other nonprofits greater leeway when it comes to endorsing candidates and engaging in political activities.
The Conference Agreement is available here.
The Joint Explanatory Statement is available here.
A report on special interest provisions slipped into the bill is available here.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
December 01, 2017
Washington Posts – The Latest:
Budget and Appropriations – With the expiration of the Continuing Resolution looming December 8, it appears that the Republicans in the House have a two-stage strategy for keeping the government open. The current CR which provides appropriations for federal programs for FY 2018, includes last year’s funding levels for most programs serving older adults, including the GWEP. The House is likely to pass another CR keeping government running through December 22 and then another CR getting us into next year. The delays are in part tied to the need for congressional leaders to compromise on the total funding levels for the 12 appropriations bills included in the CR. There is still uncertainty on whether House conservatives will support the plans for a short-term CR and what it will need to include to attract Democrats. NAGE continues to advocate for the Senate’s current funding level for the GWEP ($38.7 million), which is $4 million higher than the House level.
GWEP Reauthorization Progress – It appears that at least two Senators would like to introduce legislation to reauthorize the GWEP. We hope to be able to announce their plans and a timeline shortly. On the House side, the House Energy & Commerce Committee has still not determined a date to consider (mark-up) the GWEP and other workforce reauthorization bills. NAGE continues its work to secure passage of the reauthorization this year.
The Tax Bill – As the Senate continues its consideration of the tax bill today, the Republicans now seem to have the 50 votes necessary for passage along party lines. Senators McCain and Murkowski endorsed the bill yesterday, Senator Flake announced his support today. It appears that Senator Collins may support the bill after securing concessions from the leadership for her vote. McCain, Murkowski and Collins had voted against the ACA repeal.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
November 02, 2017
Washington Posts – The Latest:
The Republican Tax Legislation – The next major Republican legislative initiative was unveiled today. There is a lot of information is becoming available, although lobbyists all across town are still analyzing it and writing talking points in support and in opposition to various provisions. Attached are the primary documents released by the House Ways and Means Committee and below are links to the bill and the Democratic response, and a good summary of the provisions from a Congressional Quarterly article.
Individuals and Families
- Tax brackets. The bill would collapse seven tax brackets into four: 12 percent, 25 percent, 35 percent and 39.6 percent
- The existing top rate of 39.6 percent would remain unchanged but the income threshold would be kicked up to $1 million for joint filers — more than double the threshold for 2018. For individual filers, the threshold would rise to $500,000 from $426,700 in 2018.
- The existing 35 percent bracket, which for 2018 will start at about $425,000 for married couples, would now kick in at $260,000; for individuals, the 35 percent bracket would start at $200,000 for individuals, also down from nearly $425,000.
- The 25 percent bracket would start at $90,000 (couples) and $45,000 (individuals), up from $77,400 and $38,700 respectively.
- The 12 percent bracket would apply above the new standard deduction thresholds, which would rise from $6,350 to $12,000 for individuals and from $12,700 to $24,000 for joint filers.
- For high-income earners, the benefit of the lowest 12 percent bracket would be phased out at a rate of $6 per $100 of adjusted gross income above $1 million (single filers) and $1.2 million (joint filers).
- Bracket thresholds would be indexed for inflation annually, but at a slower rate basked on the so-called chained CPI threatened.
- Consolidated family credit. The measure would create a new Family Credit, including an expanded Child Tax Credit — the benefit increases from $1,000 per child to $1,600 — and a new $300 nonrefundable credit per parent and non-child dependent, which expires in 2023. The combined credit amounts would phase out at household incomes up to $230,000, up from $110,000, and $115,000 for single filers, up from $75,000.
- Personal exemptions would be repealed.
- Education tax credits would be consolidated into a unified American Opportunity Tax Credit; deductions for student loan interest, tuition and related expenses and other education deductions would be repealed.
- Mortgage interest deduction for newly purchased homes after Nov. 2 would be available on up to $500,000 in mortgage debt, down from $1 million in current law. Deduction for interest paid on home equity debt of up to $100,000 would also be repealed for new debt incurred. Refinancing debt incurred after Nov. 2 also would be limited to $500,000 and deductions for second homes would be disallowe
- ‘SALT’ deductions. State and local income and sales tax deductions would be eliminated, and property tax deductions capped at $10,000 per year.
- Capital gains tax on home sales. Capital gains tax exclusion on sale of primary residence, which exempts up to $500,000 in profits for married couples ($250,000 for individuals), would be eligible for use once every five years, up from two years in current law. It phases out by one dollar for each dollar of adjusted gross income above $500,000 for married couples ($250,000 for individuals). A homeowner must have lived in the residence for five out of the previous eight years to benefit, up from two out of the last five years in current law.
- Charitable deductions would be reserved, but with changes including repeal of special rule allowing 80 percent of the value of donated tickets for athletic events.
- Eliminates miscellaneous deductions, including for gambling losses, alimony payments, medical expenses, tax preparation fees, and moving expenses.
- Retirement savings. Existing retirement savings incentives, such as pre-tax 401(k) contribution limits, would be maintained. The ability to re-characterize Roth IRA conversions to avoid the tax hit would be repealed.
- Alternative Minimum Tax would be repealed.
- Estate tax would be eliminated after six years, but the existing $5.6 million exemption (adjusted annually for inflation) per spouse is doubled immediately with the current 40 percent rate of tax unchanged through 2022. Gift tax parameters would not change but tax rate would be reduced to 35 percent.
- Treatment of capital gains/dividends. No change is proposed to preferential treatment of long-term capital gains and qualified dividends, currently subject to a top rate of 23.8 percent for households earning more than $250,000 and individuals making more than $200,000.
- Carried interest. The bill would not change the treatment of “carried interest,” or the ability of investment fund managers to claim preferential capital gains treatment resulting from growth in their clients’ investment portfolios, beyond earnings attributable to fund managers’ own invested capital.
General Business
- Corporate rate cut. Corporate tax rate would be slashed by 15 percentage points, to 20 percent, immediately and permanently; except for personal services-related firms organized as C corporations, which would pay a 25 percent rate.
- Pass-through rate cut. The bill would establish anew rate on “pass-through” business income — income earned by closely held businesses such as partnerships, limited liability companies and subchapter S corporations — at 25 percent.
- Business owners generally could choose whether to apply the lower rate to 30 percent of their net business income, or claim a higher portion of income subject to the pass-through rate based on the firm’s level of capital investments.
- Personal services firms (lawyers, accountants, physicians, investment fund managers, architects) would generally be ineligible for the lower rate unless they have made capital investments.
- Full and immediate expensing of capital expenditures starting Sept. 27, 2017 (when the GOP’s unified framework for the bill was released), and before Jan. 1, 2023. However, regulated public utilities and real estate-related businesses would be ineligible; the election to use stockpiled AMT credits in lieu of expensing would be repealed.
- Sec. 179 expensing limits on business equipment purchases would be expanded from $500,000 in first-year expenses to $5 million, with the amount available for expensing phasing out above $20 million in total eligible purchases, up from $2 million in current law; energy efficient heating and cooling property now included in Sec. 179 property; provision expires in 2023.
- Business interest expense deductions would be disallowed in excess of 30 percent of adjusted taxable income, with an exemption for firms with average gross receipts of $25 million or less, as well as regulated utilities and real estate businesses. Disallowed interest expense could be carried forward for five years. Current law “earnings stripping” rules under Sec. 163(j) would be repealed.
- Net Operating Loss deductions (NOLs) would be limited to 90 percent of taxable income; disallowed NOLs could be carried forward with an interest factor to preserve their value.
- “Like-kind” exchanges of capital assets, which do not trigger tax on gains, would be repealed for all exchanges other than for real property, but with a transition period for non-real property transactions entered into before Dec. 31, 2017.`
Energy
- Sec. 199 domestic production deduction would be repealed.
- Business entertainment expense deductions would be repealed, but the current 50 percent deduction limit on business meals would be retained. Deductions for employee fringe benefits, such as transit, would be disallowed for expenses that are primarily personal in nature.
- Production Tax Credit. Inflation adjustment for the renewable electricity Production Tax Credit would be repealed for qualified projects placed in service after Nov. 2, 2017, with the credit amount reverting to 1.5 cents per kilowatt hour (from 2.3 cents in 2016)
- Investment Tax Credit would be extended to qualified fuel cell, geothermal and other energy properties with the same phase-out schedule as solar energy property; the 10 percent ITC available for solar installations after 2022 is repealed for property placed in service after 2027.
- Credit for residential energy efficient property, which expired at the end of 2016, would be renewed and extended through 2022, subject to a phaseout beginning in 2020.
- $1.00 per gallon biodiesel blenders tax credit would not be renewed.
Miscellaneous Business
- FDIC premiums. Deductions for premiums paid to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation would be disallowed for large financial institutions, phasing out between $10 billion and $50 billion in consolidated assets.
- Tax credit for clinical testing expenses for certain drugs intended to treat rare diseases or conditions would be repealed.
- Credits for rehabilitation of historic buildings, for hiring certain employees who have faced barriers to employment (Work Opportunity Tax Credit), for investing in community development projects in low-income areas (New Markets Tax Credit) would be repealed.
- Interest on newly-issued private activity bonds and advance refunding bonds after 2017 would be subject to tax.
- Life insurers. Numerous curbs are proposed on life insurance industry tax breaks/
- Employee compensation. The benefit of certain deferred compensation plans for highly-paid employees would be repealed. The bill also proposes to repeal the exception for commissions and performance-based compensation, such as stock options, from an existing $1 million deduction limit for compensation paid to employees of publicly traded corporations. The measure would also impose an excise tax equal to 20 percent of compensation in excess of $1 million for any of a tax-exempt organization’s five highest-paid employees.
International Taxes
- Territorial regime. The bill would move to “territorial” tax system, exempting most foreign income from U.S. corporate tax; however, a 10 percent tax would be levied on “high returns” of foreign subsidiaries, defined as greater than 7 percent plus the federal short-term rate. This would be mainly applicable to income from intangible property such as patents for software and pharmaceutical products.
- ‘Deemed’ repatriation. The bill would impose a one-time, 12 percent tax on previously stockpiled foreign earnings (5 percent for earnings reinvested in illiquid assets), payable as a lump sum or in installments for up to an 8-year period.
- ‘Look through’ rule. The ability of a U.S. parent to avoid triggering tax on passive income distributed between foreign subsidiaries (the so-called look through rule), currently set to expire in 2020, would become permanent.
- Thin capitalization rule. Interest expense deductions by a U.S. multinational would be limited to 110 percent of the U.S. corporation’s share of the worldwide consolidated group’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), with disallowed interest allowed to be carried forward for five years
- Payments to related foreign corporations. Deductible payments (other than interest) by a U.S. corporation to a related foreign corporation, applicable to both U.S. and foreign-headquartered firms, would be disallowed, other than for intercompany services which a U.S. company pays for with no markup and certain commodities transactions.
- ‘Treaty shopping.’ The bill would restrict “treaty shopping” tax benefits whereby payments to foreign related parties in jurisdictions with which the U.S. has a tax treaty with can skirt the normal 30 percent withholding tax on such payments.
Tax-exempt Organizations
- Foundations, endowments. The bill would change the tax treatment of private foundations and university endowments, including a uniform 1.4 percent excise tax on investment income. Private college and university endowments would be taxed in this manner for the first time, and limited to institutions with at least 500 students and assets valued at least $100,000 per full-time student.
- Churches would be able to take write-offs for expenses related to political campaigns.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
October 20, 2017
Washington Posts – The Latest:
Budget and Appropriations – On October 10, the Senate passed its FY 2018 budget resolution that will enable them to pass tax legislation with a simple majority under the budget reconciliation process. All Democrats and one Republican voted against the bill. The bill may be similar enough to the House bill that the House will agree without amending the bill further. A deal on final appropriations funding levels for FY 2018 has not been completed. This will need to be a bipartisan bill. The continuing resolution that is keeping government running ends on December 8, 2017.
GWEP Reauthorization Progress – The House Energy & Commerce Committee has still not determined a date to consider the GWEP and other workforce reauthorization bills. NAGE has held meetings this week and is very hopeful that we have identified a Republican sponsor for the Senate GWEP reauthorization bill.
HPNEC – NAGE is an active member of the Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC). We collaborate on funding and authorization issues related to HRSA, and have been participating in Hill meetings with fellow HPNEC members. We will be sending a letter to congressional leadership supporting a bipartisan FY 2018 budget agreement that would raise the non-defense discretionary (NDD) spending cap and would enable at least $551 million for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Title VII health professions and Title VIII nursing workforce development programs. HPNEC is also planning a Hill briefing for this fall.
President Trump Moves to Undermine ACA; Senate Moves to Repair It
In two separate actions, President Trump worked to undermine the ACA this past week. First, by signing an executive order allowing insurers to sell policies that provided less coverage than required under the Affordable Care Act. Draft regulations will follow.
- Here is the Executive Order: Presidential Executive Order Promoting Healthcare Choice and Competition Across the United States
- Here is an article explaining why this is bad for the marketplace: “Trump Order Could Destabilize Health Insurance Markets, Hurt Those With Pre-Existing Conditions” by Sarah Lueck at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:
Second, the Administration announced that they would no longer reimburse health insurers for the cost-sharing reductions or discounts that they make for low-income individuals. Such reductions cost insurers an estimated $7 billion per year, and under current law they will still have to provide the discounts. Prior to the Senate’s recess this past week, Senator Alexander, Chairman of the HELP Committee, had stated that he had agreed with Senator Murray, Ranking Minority Member, on a two-year extension of these subsidies.
- Here is a Health Affairs blog that provides some good background on the issue: Administration’s Ending Of Cost-Sharing Reduction Payments Likely To Roil Individual Markets
Meanwhile, Senators Alexander (R-TN) and Murray (D-WA) announced an agreement supported by twelve Republicans and twelve Democrats that would attempt to stabilize the health insurance marketplace for 3 years: 24 Senators, including 12 Republicans, Cosponsor Temporary Legislation to Keep Premiums from Rising 20 Percent, Keep Federal Debt from Spiking $194 Billion in 10 Years
Elder Justice – On October 18, 2017, the President signed into law S. 178, the “Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act,” which establishes certain requirements for the Department of Justice with respect to investigating and prosecuting elder abuse crimes, and amends Federal criminal law to expand telemarketing fraud to include “email marketing” fraud:
President Donald J. Trump Signs S. 178, S. 652, and H.R. 1117 into Law
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
October 11, 2017
Please mark your calendars for the next NAGE Advocacy Mentoring Network Webinar which will be held on October 23 at 12:00 PM until 1:00 PM EST.
Topic: Educating Policymakers: Sharing Your Expertise with Capitol Hill.
GSA and NAGE members, each experts in the aging field who have testified on Capitol Hill will share their perspectives on the process, preparation, and experience of testifying before a congressional committee. This webinar is co-hosted by NAGE and The Gerontological Society of America.
Presenters include
Brian Lindberg, MMHS, GSA and NAGE Policy Advisor (Moderator)
Dr. Kathryn Hyer, PhD, MPP, Professor/Director Policy Center, School of Aging Studies/Florida Policy Exchange Center on Aging, University of South Florida
Janice Knebl, MBA, DO, Chief, Geriatrics Section and Dallas Southwest Osteopathic Physicians, Endowed Chair in Geriatrics, University of North Texas Health Science Center and Dr. Frank Lin, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Geriatric Medicine, Mental Health, and Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Registration link: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1559146357082289409
This webinar is free, but space is limited. Pre-registration is required. Please contact Greg O’Neill at goneill@geron.org for further information. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Thank you,
Brian
Brian W. Lindberg, NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
September 28, 2017
Washington Posts – The Latest:
Budget and Appropriations – Congress is moving forward with a budget resolution for FY 2018 that would enable them to pass tax legislation with a simple majority under the budget reconciliation process. In the meantime, Republicans and Democrats need to work out the final numbers on the FY 2018 appropriations. The continuing resolution that is keeping government running ends on December 8, 2017. NAGE continues its outreach and advocacy for at least the current $38.737 million funding level provided by the Senate Appropriators. A Leadership Council of Aging Organizations letter that NAGE contributed to reiterates this position as well.
GWEP Reauthorization Progress – The House Energy & Commerce Committee is occupied trying to pass the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in the next week, so it is likely that the GWEP and other workforce reauthorization bills will have to wait a bit longer. But we won’t know for sure until the list of bills to be considered is released. NAGE and EWA continue our discussions with Senate staff on reauthorization sponsors there.
ACA Repeal and Replace – The U.S. Senate cancelled a planned vote for this week on the latest legislative proposal to repeal and replace the ACA. The Graham-Cassidy bill would have block-granted much of the ACA funding and given states authority to change many of the programs and patient protections. Although the Congressional Budget Office did not release a complete analysis, it did state that millions of individuals would lose coverage. The President has said he will continue to push for a vote on this bill. The Senate HELP Committee has returned to its bipartisan effort to pass legislation to help stabilize the insurance marketplace.
The Families USA Talking Points on the Graham-Cassidy Bill
Here’s the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations Letter opposing the Graham-Cassidy Bill
Tax Reform – Congress and the President have moved to the next enormous issue on their to do list, a major overhaul of the tax code. We will be reading and hearing a great deal about the Republican plans to reform the tax code in the coming weeks and months. Below is the link to the House Ways and Means Committee press release which includes links to their framework and a one-page overview. Also, here is a link to the progressive Center for Budget and Policy Priorities’ article released this week.
Senate Republicans Take Big First Step Towards $1.5 Trillion Revenue-Losing Tax Cut
RAISE Family Caregivers Act – S. 1028 – The full Senate passed this bill this week. The bill’s primary objectives are to direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop, maintain, and periodically update a National Family Caregiving Strategy and to have HHS convene a Family Caregiving Advisory Council to advise it on recognizing and supporting family caregivers.
Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act of 2017 – S. 870 – The full Senate also passed this bipartisan bill designed to ensure, among other things, that Medicare beneficiaries living with advanced illness receive the highest quality care.
More to come on all of this in the NAGE Monthly Update.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
September 13, 2017
Washington Posts – The Latest:
GWEP Reauthorization Progress
The Bills
As we hope you have heard, on Friday, September 8, 2017, Representatives Schakowsky (D-IL), Matsui (D-CA), and McKinley (R-WV) introduced the “Geriatrics Workforce and Caregiver Enhancement Act,” H.R. 3713. This bill authorizes the GWEP for five years at $45.8 million per year. It also authorizes the Geriatric Academic Career Awards at $5.2 million per year. Chairman Burgess (R-TX) of the Health Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee has introduced a similar bill (H.R. 3728) this week using current funding levels ($38.7 million for the GWEP). Although there is no funding amount in his bill for the GACAs, it does include the authorization of the program and we are working with staff to find funding. It also authorizes several other parts of Title VII. NAGE is now working to secure Senate bill sponsors.
Rep Schakowsky’s Bill:
H.R.3713 – Geriatrics Workforce and Caregiver Enhancement Act
Rep. Burgess’ Bill:
H.R.3728 – EMPOWER Act of 2017
The Hearing (and Our Very Own Dr. Janice A. Knebl)
Below is the link to the September 14th hearing in Energy and Commerce’s Health Subcommittee on Title VII reauthorization. Janice Knebl, our esteemed colleague from the University of North Texas Health Science Center, is testifying and her testimony is found on the link. I have also included NAGE President Kathryn Hyer’s testimony which was submitted for the hearing record.
Examining Workforce Programs Under the Public Health Service Act
GWEP Appropriations Progress:
Attached is the latest funding chart prepared by the Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC). NAGE is an active member of the Coalition and has been participating in many Hill educational meetings with other HPNEC members. Last week the Senate Appropriations Committee provided full funding for the GWEP at $38.7 million, which is $4 million higher than the House bill.
Title Vll and Title Vlll Health Professions Programs: FY 2018 Funding ($ in thousands)
As you know, NAGE continues to work closely with the Eldercare Workforce Alliance, the American Geriatrics Society, and The Gerontological Society of America to secure funding for and reauthorize the GWEP.
For more on appropriations and many other aging issues see the NAGE September Public Policy Update.
Thank you, Brian
Brian W. Lindberg, NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
September 8, 2017
Washington Posts: The Latest:
Appropriations – The Senate Appropriations Committee passed its LHHS FY 2018 appropriations bill yesterday and provided the GWEP with level funding of $38.7 million – the same as last year. This is a very positive accomplishment since the House had reduced funding by $4 million. Now the House and Senate will need to work out the differences between their bills. So keep up the advocacy!
Here is the report language and the report is attached.
Geriatric Programs
The Committee provides $38,737,000 for Geriatric Programs. The Committee recognizes the importance of geriatric training programs incorporating culturally sensitive training programs and encourages HRSA to work to ensure training programs are collaborative, interdisciplinary, and culturally competent.
GWEP Reauthorization Progress:
As you know, NAGE continues to work with the Eldercare Workforce Alliance, The Gerontological Society of America, and the American Geriatrics Society on a bill that would reauthorize the GWEP. The bill may be introduced today by Rep. Schakowsky (D-IL).
Brian W. Lindberg, NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
September 5, 2017
Washington Posts – The Latest:
Budget and Appropriations – Congress returned this week to a long list of must-do legislation, including funding to keep the government running past September 30th – the end of the FY 2017 fiscal year. Here are the key points on this topic:
- The House Appropriations Committee has already passed their FY 2018 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill, which cuts many programs, including a $4 million cut to the GWEP – down from $38.737 million. Here is the link to the bill summary:
Fiscal Year 2018 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Funding Bill - House Republican leadership has said they will work to pass a continuing resolution appropriations bill in the near future that will extend funding for about three months. This puts off some of the tough decisions until the end of the calendar year, including funding for the Trump wall.
- The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on LHHS and the full Committee will mark up their LHHS FY 2018 appropriations bill this week (Wednesday and Thursday). Advocates are anxiously waiting to see the funding levels, which should be higher because the allocation for this bill is higher in the Senate that in the House. Here are the links:
Subcommittee Markup of the FY2018 Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Bill
Committee Markup of the FY2018 State, Foreign Ops Appropriations Bill, and the FY2018 Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Bill - NAGE members and Brian Lindberg (Public Policy Advisor) have been meeting with members of the Senate and staff during the August/September congressional recess pushing them to increase funding for the GWEP. Please keep contacting your Members of Congress requesting meetings, site visits, and asking for the NAGE request of $51 million for FY 2018…you can still make a difference.
- Congress will also turn this week to plans for an Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill to fund the recovery efforts in Texas for Hurricane Harvey.
GWEP Reauthorization Progress:
As you know, NAGE continues to work with the Eldercare Workforce Alliance, The Gerontological Society of America, and the American Geriatrics Society on a bill that would reauthorize the GWEP. Much positive progress has been made over the last several weeks. We have been working with Chairman Burgess (R-TX) of the Health Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee and he has agreed to include the GWEP authorization language in the Title VII bill that he is introducing. The funding level is likely to be our current funding level. In addition, Rep. Schakowsky (D-IL) plans to introduce a free-standing bill that would reauthorize the GWEP for a five-year period at $51 million per year. The bill would increase the number of GWEP sites by eight and provided funding for GWEPs and other institutions to compete for GACAs. Both of these bills will be introduced shortly.
Senate ACA Repeal and Replace – Although repeal and replace efforts have died down, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee begins a series of hearings this week to determine how (in a bipartisan fashion) Congress could stabilize the health insurance marketplace for a year while Congress re-thinks how it should proceed with health care reform:
Full Committee Hearing Stabilizing Premiums and Helping Individuals in the Individual Insurance Market for 2018: Health Care Stakeholders
Brian W. Lindberg, NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
July 20, 2017
Washington Posts – The Latest:
Appropriations:
Better funding news in the U.S. Senate. On July 20, 2017, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved 16-15 the allocations for the 12 spending bills under the committee’s jurisdiction. The Labor, HHS, Education bill allocation is $164.06 billion, a $3.04 billion increase from fiscal 2017 enacted levels. This is good news, particularly since the bill that passed yesterday in the House Appropriations Committee had an allocation for Labor, HHS, Education that was more than $5 billion less than for FY 2017. NAGE will be keep working for a higher GWEP funding level in the Senate.
More on yesterday’s Roybal-Allard Amendment for Health Care Professionals Education from HPNEC. The amendment was not approved. Congresswoman Roybal-Allard’s amendment would have made the following changes to the Labor, HHS, Education bill:
- Increase overall workforce funding by $90.5 million
- Increase Centers of Excellence funding by $12 million (Total of $21.7 million, FY 17 level)
- Reinstate the Health Careers Opportunity Program by granting it $14.2 million (FY 17 level)
- Increase Geriatric Programs funding by $ 4 million (Total of $38.7 million, FY 17 level)
- Increase Mental and Behavioral Health by $25 million (Total of $ 50 million, FY 17 level)
- Reinstate the Public Health and Preventative Medicine programs by granting them $17 million (FY 17 level)
- Increase the Nursing Workforce Development allocation by $18.3 million ((Total $229.5 million, FY 17 level for all Title VIII funding)
- Requires HRSA to utilize $15.3 million to create a more diverse nursing workforce by increasing nursing education opportunities for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds
Congresswoman Roybal-Allard has posted a video of her remarks regarding her Title VII/Title VIII amendment on twitter.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606
July 14, 2017
Washington Posts – The Latest:
Budget and Appropriations – Late into the evening on July 13, the House Labor HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee marked-up its FY 2018 appropriations bill. Below are links to a summary and the bill. In many cases the subcommittee ignored the president’s budget proposals, but it did cut the LHHS funding by more than $5 billion from FY 2017 levels. HRSA’s health workforce programs are reduced less than Trump proposed, but the full details were not made available. The health workforce section starting on page 42 (Titles, III, VII, and VIII) has been reduced to $748,236,000 (page 43). In the final Consolidated Appropriations Act for 2017, that level was $838,695,000. We do not know yet how much funding the bill provides for each of the HRSA programs. The bill does increase NIH by $1.1 billion, whereas Trump proposed a $5 billion cut. The full Appropriations Committee is likely to meet to mark-up the bill on July 19. During that mark-up, the bill could be modified by committee amendments. NAGE (Brian) met today with the Ranking Democrat on the subcommittee (Rep. Rosa DeLauro and her staff) to discuss the possibility of an amendment to restore funding if the GWEP has been cut. More to come on this as it unfolds.
Senate ACA Repeal and Replace – The Republicans have released the latest version of their repeal and replace legislation. After ten days back in their states, many Republican senators have still not decided whether to support the bill. The Congressional Budget Office should release its report on the cost of the bill and how many individuals will lose coverage early next week. The Senate may vote on the bill July 20 or July 21. Read all about the revised bill at: https://www.budget.senate.gov/bettercare
Here is a piece on the Cruz amendment: https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/cruz-amendment-would-worsen-already-harmful-senate-health-bill-for-people-with
GWEP Reauthorization:
NAGE continues to work with the Eldercare Workforce Alliance, The Gerontological Society of America, and the American Geriatrics Society on a bill that would reauthorize the GWEP for a five-year period at $51 million per year. The bill would increase the number of GWEP sites by eight and provided funding for GWEPs and other institutions to compete for GACAs. NAGE and its partners are working to secure the original sponsors of the bill. House legislative counsel is working on drafting the bill now.
Brian W. Lindberg
NAGE Public Policy Advisor
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20006
202-789-3606