The federal government was shut down last weekend. On Friday, most Senate Democrats and five Senate Republicans opposed another short-term spending bill. The House-passed bill would have extended the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for six years, but failed to address the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program or other immigration issues. The President put DACA on the chopping block last fall. A federal judge recently ordered the Administration to resume accepting renewal applications for the DACA program – raising the President’s ire and leading to a Department of Justice request for Supreme Court review. Congressional Democrats want DACA made permanent for “Dreamers” as part of a global agreement on immigration.
On Monday, agreement was reached to pass a new short-term spending bill and re-open government. Senate Democrats agreed to the spending bill when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised to address the future of “Dreamers” – hopefully before this new spending bill expires on February 8th. The short-term spending bill includes the six-year CHIP extension – welcome news after nearly four months of the program being held hostage as “a political football in the shutdown showdown.” Children will be able to continue receiving the health care that this critical program ensures. States, including Washington, will need to pony up some extra cash for their share of CHIP when the federal funding percentage is reduced to pre-Affordable Care Act levels in two years.
Unfortunately, the new spending bill fails to address funding for community health centers, which will remain in limbo as negotiations continue into early February.