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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate approves more than $180 billion in 2026 funding before August recess
The Senate on Friday passed its first tranche of government funding bills for fiscal year 2026 ahead of its upcoming August recess, but Congress is bracing for a potentially messy fight to prevent a shutdown when they return in September. The chamber approved three bills that provide more than $180 billion in discretionary funding for the departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), military construction, legislative branch operations and rural development. The bills passed in two parts: on an 87-9 vote for military construction, VA, agriculture and FDA funding; and an 81-15 vote for legislative branch funding. The votes cap off days of uncertainty over whether the Senate would be joining the House on a monthlong recess with any of its 12 annual funding bills passed out of the chamber. Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), who heads the subcommittee that crafted the full-year VA funding bill, said Friday that he sees the first batch of bills as more of a 'test run.' 'It's just been so long since we've done our appropriations bills. A lot of people just [forgot] the procedures,' he told The Hill, noting that in the previous congressional session senators 'really didn't do bills.' Appropriators say the vote marks the first time since 2018 that the Senate has passed funding legislation before the August recess. 'It's really a matter of just kind of legislating again, and the more we do it, the easier, the easier it'll be as we go back,' Boozman said. In the past week, senators had gone through several iterations of their first funding package of the year, as leaders on both sides worked through frustrations in their ranks over proposed spending levels and actions by the Trump administration that incensed Democrats. Well over half of the funding approved Friday is included in the annual VA and military construction bill, which calls for upwards of $153 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal 2026. That includes about $133 billion for the VA and roughly $20 billion for the Department of Defense military construction program. More than $113 billion in discretionary funding would go toward VA medical care. The annual agricultural funding plan calls for $27 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal 2026. It includes $8.2 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), about $7 billion in funding for the Food and Drug Administration, roughly $1.7 billion for rental assistance, and nearly $1.23 billion for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Democrats have also highlighted $240 million in funding in the bill for the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program, which was targeted in President Trump's latest budget request. The annual legislative branch funding plan calls for about $7 billion for House and Senate operations, the U.S. Capitol Police and agencies like the Library of Congress (LOC), the Government Accountability Office, the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and the Architect of the Capitol. Capitol Police would see a boost under the plan, along with the CBO, while funding for the LOC, the CRS and the GAO would be kept at fiscal 2025 levels. Lawmakers also agreed to $44.5 million in emergency funds aimed at beefing up security and member protection, citing safety concerns following the shootings of Minnesota lawmakers earlier this year. Republicans had previously been uncertain about whether the third bill would be passed as part of the package this week until Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a senior appropriator, said a deal was worked out to allow him to vote on the measure separately from the other bills. Kennedy has criticized the legislative branch funding bill for its proposed spending levels. 'It just doesn't seem appropriate for us to be spending that much extra while everybody else has to take a cut,' he told reporters in late July. 'Now, some of my colleagues point out, yes, but the extra spending is for member security.' 'If you're going to spend extra money on member security, find a pay-for within the bill. I just think the optics are terrible and the policy is terrible,' he said. 'We ought to hold ourselves to the same standard we're holding everybody else, and that's why I'm going to vote no.' Republicans also blame Sen. Chris Van Hollen's (D-Md.) resistance to the Trump administration's relocation plans for the FBI's headquarters for weighing down efforts to pass the annual Justice Department funding bill. Senators had initially expected that bill, which also funds the Commerce Department and science-related agencies, to be part of the package until those plans fell apart earlier this week amid a clash over Trump administration plans to relocate the FBI headquarters. Speaking from the Senate floor on Thursday, Van Hollen, the top Democrat on the subcommittee that crafted the annual funding deal, said he had been pushing for an amendment aimed at ensuring the FBI would 'have a level 5 security headquarters.' He noted his previous attempt during committee consideration that temporarily led to the adoption of an amendment to the DOJ funding bill that sought to block President Trump's plans to keep the FBI's headquarters in Washington, D.C. However, the change was later scrapped after staunch GOP opposition threatened to tank the bill. 'It didn't happen because members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Republicans and Democrats, didn't think that was the right thing to do – to preserve what we had set out before and make sure that the men and women [of the FBI] have a level 5 security headquarters,' he said. 'We did it because the President of the United States was going to throw a fit if that provision stayed on.' Van Hollen said he hopes the bill will be able to 'get back on track' in September. However, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), chair of the subcommittee alongside Van Hollen, offered a rather gloomy outlook for the bill's next steps after recess. He argued much of the focus in September is likely to be on getting a deal on a funding stopgap, also known as a continuing resolution (CR), to keep the government funded beyond the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline. 'When we get back from recess, we'll move to working on the CR to get us so I would guess if the CJS has a path, it's probably just the CR and will continue,' Moran said. 'All the work that we've done goes away, and we'll go back to CR and fund those agencies at the same level and same way that we did last year.' 'Every time we say we want to do appropriation bills, then there's someone who has a reason that, 'Not this time,' 'Not this one,' 'Not – because I didn't get what I want,'' he said. 'And this time we're arguing over an amendment that was allowed to the senator who's objecting, but he wanted a commitment that he get the outcome he wants.' 'And he didn't win in committee, and he wouldn't win on the Senate floor, but he can, I wouldn't think, but he can make his case. But he rejected that option,' he said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
02-08-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Senate approves more than $180 billion in 2026 funding before August recess
The Senate on Friday passed its first tranche of government funding bills for fiscal year 2026 ahead of its upcoming August recess, but Congress is bracing for a potentially messy fight to prevent a shutdown when they return in September. The chamber approved three bills that provide more than $180 billion in discretionary funding for the departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), military construction, legislative branch operations and rural development. The bills passed in two parts: on an 87-9 vote for military construction, VA, agriculture and FDA funding; and an 81-15 vote for legislative branch funding. The votes cap off days of uncertainty over whether the Senate would be joining the House on a monthlong recess with any of its 12 annual funding bills passed out of the chamber. Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), who heads the subcommittee that crafted the full-year VA funding bill, said Friday that he sees the first batch of bills as more of a 'test run.' 'It's just been so long since we've done our appropriations bills. A lot of people just [forgot] the procedures,' he told The Hill, noting that in the previous congressional session senators 'really didn't do bills.' Appropriators say the vote marks the first time since 2018 that the Senate has passed funding legislation before the August recess. 'It's really a matter of just kind of legislating again, and the more we do it, the easier, the easier it'll be as we go back,' Boozman said. In the past week, senators had gone through several iterations of their first funding package of the year, as leaders on both sides worked through frustrations in their ranks over proposed spending levels and actions by the Trump administration that incensed Democrats. Well over half of the funding approved Friday is included in the annual VA and military construction bill, which calls for upwards of $153 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal 2026. That includes about $133 billion for the VA and roughly $20 billion for the Department of Defense military construction program. More than $113 billion in discretionary funding would go toward VA medical care. The annual agricultural funding plan calls for $27 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal 2026. It includes $8.2 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), about $7 billion in funding for the Food and Drug Administration, roughly $1.7 billion for rental assistance, and nearly $1.23 billion for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Democrats have also highlighted $240 million in funding in the bill for the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program, which was targeted in President Trump's latest budget request. The annual legislative branch funding plan calls for about $7 billion for House and Senate operations, the U.S. Capitol Police and agencies like the Library of Congress (LOC), the Government Accountability Office, the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and the Architect of the Capitol. Capitol Police would see a boost under the plan, along with the CBO, while funding for the LOC, the CRS and the GAO would be kept at fiscal 2025 levels. Lawmakers also agreed to $44.5 million in emergency funds aimed at beefing up security and member protection, citing safety concerns following the shootings of Minnesota lawmakers earlier this year. Republicans had previously been uncertain about whether the third bill would be passed as part of the package this week until Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a senior appropriator, said a deal was worked out to allow him to vote on the measure separately from the other bills. Kennedy has criticized the legislative branch funding bill for its proposed spending levels. 'It just doesn't seem appropriate for us to be spending that much extra while everybody else has to take a cut,' he told reporters in late July. 'Now, some of my colleagues point out, yes, but the extra spending is for member security.' 'If you're going to spend extra money on member security, find a pay-for within the bill. I just think the optics are terrible and the policy is terrible,' he said. 'We ought to hold ourselves to the same standard we're holding everybody else, and that's why I'm going to vote no.' Republicans also blame Sen. Chris Van Hollen's (D-Md.) resistance to the Trump administration's relocation plans for the FBI's headquarters for weighing down efforts to pass the annual Justice Department funding bill. Senators had initially expected that bill, which also funds the Commerce Department and science-related agencies, to be part of the package until those plans fell apart earlier this week amid a clash over Trump administration plans to relocate the FBI headquarters. Speaking from the Senate floor on Thursday, Van Hollen, the top Democrat on the subcommittee that crafted the annual funding deal, said he had been pushing for an amendment aimed at ensuring the FBI would 'have a level 5 security headquarters.' He noted his previous attempt during committee consideration that temporarily led to the adoption of an amendment to the DOJ funding bill that sought to block President Trump's plans to keep the FBI's headquarters in Washington, D.C. However, the change was later scrapped after staunch GOP opposition threatened to tank the bill. 'It didn't happen because members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Republicans and Democrats, didn't think that was the right thing to do – to preserve what we had set out before and make sure that the men and women [of the FBI] have a level 5 security headquarters,' he said. 'We did it because the President of the United States was going to throw a fit if that provision stayed on.' Van Hollen said he hopes the bill will be able to 'get back on track' in September. However, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), chair of the subcommittee alongside Van Hollen, offered a rather gloomy outlook for the bill's next steps after recess. He argued much of the focus in September is likely to be on getting a deal on a funding stopgap, also known as a continuing resolution (CR), to keep the government funded beyond the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline. 'When we get back from recess, we'll move to working on the CR to get us so I would guess if the CJS has a path, it's probably just the CR and will continue,' Moran said. 'All the work that we've done goes away, and we'll go back to CR and fund those agencies at the same level and same way that we did last year.' 'Every time we say we want to do appropriation bills, then there's someone who has a reason that, 'Not this time,' 'Not this one,' 'Not – because I didn't get what I want,'' he said. 'And this time we're arguing over an amendment that was allowed to the senator who's objecting, but he wanted a commitment that he get the outcome he wants.' 'And he didn't win in committee, and he wouldn't win on the Senate floor, but he can, I wouldn't think, but he can make his case. But he rejected that option,' he said.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How Trump's budget would hit America's poorest families hardest
Donald Trump's plan to slash billions of dollars in federal spending includes dramatic cuts to vital programs that support millions of Americans, including the nation's poorest families. New details in a massive White House document spanning more than 1,200 pages outline stark cuts to programs that help feed and house millions of children, which critics fear will have dangerous consequences for the nation's most vulnerable households. Trump's 2026 budget proposal was released with little fanfare on Friday evening as Congress prepares to vote on more than a dozen spending measures. It will ultimately be up to lawmakers to decide how far those cuts stretch. But the president wants to shed $163 billion in non-defense spending from the nation's 2026 budget. That includes cutting down $12 billion from education programs and more than $60 billion from agencies supporting housing and food access for women and children — from slashing rental assistance for poor families to ending the only federal program that supports state-level preschool development. The White House proposes significantly rolling back support for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which supports more than 6.7 million people, including 1.5 million pregnant and post-partum mothers and more than 5 million children under age 5. Under Trump's proposal, breastfeeding mothers receiving WIC assistance would see their monthly benefits plummet from $54 to just $13, while support for children would drop from $27 to $10, according to the National WIC Association. Current WIC benefit levels only cover the cost for about half the recommended daily serving of fruits and vegetables for young children and mothers, according to the group. Trump's proposed cuts would give children only 19 percent and mothers just 12 percent of those recommendations, the group found. 'This budget request falls short of the Trump administration's commitment to 'Make America Healthy Again,' particularly in its failure to support maternal and child health through vital nutrition programs,' according to National WIC Association president Georgia Machell. Trump's proposal 'directly removes healthy food from the hands of low-income moms and young children who face nutritional risk,' she added. 'This budget doesn't just break promises. It takes healthy food off of children's plates.' The proposal would also eliminate funding for Child Nutrition Trainings, Farm to School Grants, and School Meal Equipment Grants, 'which will hurt schools' ability to feed children nutritious food during the school day,' according to Democrats on the Senate Appropriations committee. Trump's budget document zeroes out programs across education. Entire pages across the 1,200-page document would eliminate programs supporting preschools, before- and after-school programs, literacy programs and education for homeless children and in rural areas. The proposal would reduce the annual budget for the Department of Education — which the president wants to abolish altogether — by $12 billion, from $79.6 billion to $66.7 billion. 'The budget underscores that President Trump's vision for returning education to the states means state and local taxpayers will pay more to support students and educators at their local schools thanks to major cuts in federal funding,' according to Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee. Under the White House proposal, more than a dozen existing grants supporting education programs would be condensed into one fund that would let states choose how to spend those dollars. That would mean ending dedicated funding streams to support after-school programs and other services — such as programs that specifically support tens of thousands of homeless children. Roughly 1.4 million children in kindergarten through 12 grade experienced homelessness during the 2022-2023 school year, according to the latest federal data. Trump also proposes slashing funds for the Department of Housing and Urban Development by more than 43 percent. More than 10 million Americans rely on federal rental assistance, including 5.6 million people in families with children. Drastic cuts to those lifelines could put more families at risk of eviction and homelessness, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Housing Choice Vouchers and Section 8 assistance would lose more than $26.7 billion, marking a 42 percent reduction, under Trump's proposal. 'We should be making housing affordable by expanding effective rental assistance to help everyone in need, not slashing it irresponsibly to pay for tax cuts skewed to the wealthy,' said Will P. Fischer, the center's director of housing policy. A cap on how long households with 'able-bodied adults' can continue receiving federal assistance could put thousands of families at risk of losing their homes. In New York City, more than 61 percent of residents receiving assistance — roughly 316,00 people — could be deemed ineligible under Trump's vague definition, according to an analysis of New York City Housing Authority data. 'This is a draconian proposal to hurt working people and our economy, and it is dead on arrival in Congress as long as I have anything to say about it,' said Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations committee. 'But this is just another reminder we need Republicans to join us to reject these reckless cuts, focus on the investments we actually need to make in our communities and security, and to finally force Trump to follow the law and end his devastating funding freeze,' she added.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Babies and Young American Children Suffer As US Lags In Family Support
The United States has one of the highest child poverty rates among all developed countries. One in six American children under the age of 5 live in poverty, a higher rate than for any other age group. In 2022, the U.S. ranked at 38 out of 40 countries, bested not just by countries known for robust safety nets like Finland and Denmark but also Slovenia, Russia and Mexico. The reality of such a high poverty rate among the youngest and most vulnerable Americans is the result of policy choices. Research has found that it's not because the U.S. has higher rates of single parenthood or because low-income Americans don't work hard enough for a decent income. Instead, where other countries make robust investments in government programs, particularly those that benefit parents and children, the U.S. spends far less. And yet poverty has been found to have catastrophic effects on children's development and well-being. The stories below expose the result of this disinclination to invest in families with babies and young children — as well as what happens when efforts to do things differently are abruptly abandoned. homelessnessHousing instability can affect children's cognitive and emotional development and ultimately their academic success. Housing instability can affect children's cognitive and emotional development and ultimately their academic success. Various data sources all illuminate the same trend: homelessness among children under age 6 has been climbing in recent years, driven by a mix of systemic factors, with disturbing consequences for the country's children. school meals During the pandemic, universal, free school meals were a lifesaver for parents like Lynnea Hawkins, who no longer had to pull together complicated paperwork and send it in with her son, making him a target for torment. But then Congress ended the program, forcing parents to once again face shame and stigma to participate — or forego free meals for their children altogether. child hungerThe first federal food assistance program in decades helps eligible families cover groceries in the summer, but many dollars may go unclaimed. The first federal food assistance program in decades helps eligible families cover groceries in the summer, but many dollars may go unclaimed. Even when Congress passes a new program aimed at helping families afford the basics for their children, it doesn't always reach them. Erika Marquez's family was eligible for the new Summer EBT benefits rolled out in 2024 to help parents get through the lean summer months, but her husband couldn't figure out how to sign up, so they missed out. 'It's just hard when you hear your child say, 'Mom, my stomach is rumbling,'' she said. policy Even long-established programs with solid track records aren't always safe. At the end of 2023, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, needed more money to stay available to all low-income pregnant people and new parents, but Republicans threatened to break a 25-year track record of fully funding it. inflationDiaper need increases dramatically as pandemic-era programs end and inflation rises Diaper need increases dramatically as pandemic-era programs end and inflation rises The often threadbare American safety net leads to some disturbing outcomes, such as the fact that nearly half of our nation's families are struggling to afford diapers. Some change their children less often than they should to make the diapers they do have last, while others go without diapers at all. ConnecticutBaby bonds can help tackle generational poverty in low-income families. Baby bonds can help tackle generational poverty in low-income families. Some states have taken bold steps to do more to address child poverty. In 2021, Connecticut became the first state to create 'baby bonds,' depositing $3,200 in an account for every baby whose birth is covered by Medicaid so that it can accrue interest and create wealth for them later in life.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
COVID-19 experience strengthens Countryside Public Health for challenges ahead
Apr. 23---- Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic reached far western Minnesota, the public health agency serving the Upper Minnesota River Valley finds itself in a stronger position than when the pandemic began, but its director is also keeping a keen eye on storm clouds on the horizon. An infusion of funding brought about by the pandemic — and the opportunity to better assess its role and the needs of its population — has really strengthened the work that Countryside Public Health is doing, according to Liz Auch, its director. The first case of COVID-19 was recorded on April 19, 2020, in the five counties served by Countryside Public Health: , , and . It was an "all hands on deck" moment, said Andrea Mills, communications specialist for the agency. Countryside was as ready as it could be for the new virus, according to Auch. Before retiring and turning over the baton to co-worker Dawn Bjorgan, infectious disease expert Gloria Tobias had been monitoring the virus and its spread in China. She had local staff "practicing and practicing" for the response, Auch explained. Nationally, there has been some distrust and disconnect about the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Auch said, but Countryside saw nearly the opposite effect. In western Minnesota, Countryside realized early its important role as the source of information. It worked to improve its ability to provide the information everyone — from restaurant owners to law enforcement officers — needed. What made it all work? Auch credits her staff and, importantly, a good track record of working with partners in health care in the region, schools and law enforcement. There were "bumps," but those partners trusted Countryside Public Health and supported it, she said. The infusion of funding the pandemic triggered allowed Countryside to increase its staffing from 30 to about 32 positions. Importantly, it was able to assess its role, and focus on its key service areas and better align staff members' responsibilities. New funding that resulted from the opioid crisis and subsequent legal settlement also has allowed Countryside to do more to educate people about substance abuse, as well as equip an educator to bring lessons to classrooms in the five counties. Despite serving an aging population, five years after the pandemic's start is seeing a steady creep upward in the number of young families it serves through programs such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, often known as WIC. An emphasis on outreach to serve clients in some of the smallest and relatively remote corners of the rural counties with regular clinics has helped, Auch said. So did the fact that more people were seeking health information during the pandemic. Countryside leveraged the trust people had in it. "It gave us an audience that we maybe didn't have before," Mills said. In a fragmented media world, Mills takes advantage of multiple social media platforms, along with traditional newspaper and radio outlets, to reach that audience. Keeping the attention of its audience in the days ahead may be more important than ever. "My growing concern as a public health leader right now is we're going to see a rise in infectious diseases," Auch said. She pointed to recent reports of cases of measles and pertussis in the country as reason for concern. Her agency works to communicate to the public the importance of vaccinations against infectious diseases, and offers clinics and referrals to get people vaccinated. The percentage of children ages 24-35 months who are up-to-date with vaccines in the five Countryside counties ranges from 59.7% in Chippewa to 77.2% in Lac qui Parle, with Big Stone at 64.2%, Swift at 67.4%, and Yellow Medicine at 65.4%. The statewide vaccination rate for that age group is currently 63%. When Auch began her public health career 25 years ago, the statewide rate was over 90%. Auch pointed out that most young people do not have the firsthand experience of having known polio and other infectious diseases. As a consequence, they may not have a full understanding about the benefits of vaccines. She also noted there is currently a tension in the public discourse over the right to choose and a social obligation to keep others safe. Auch said public health has generally been considered underfunded for all of her career. Those concerns are growing today in the midst of federal and state cutbacks to health funding, and it has her attention. Countryside receives about 28% of its funding from federal sources, 30 to 32% from the state, and 20% from local sources. Private insurance, Medicare and Medical Assistance, licensing fees and charges for services, as well as investment interest and opioid settlement funds, comprise the remainder. The funding is very much needed in this post-COVID era, as there remain a whole range of public health issues to address, Auch said. Obesity, mental health care for youth, how kids are doing after COVID, kids' resiliency, dental health access, and the numbers of people being injured and killed on the roads due to distracted driving and drinking and other substance use are among some of the concerns she cited. All the while, Countryside continues to maintain its readiness for the potential of another pandemic. "Are we better prepared? Sure we're prepared, but tell me what the strain is, its impact and mortality rate," Auch said. This is no time to let down our guard, or reduce our defenses and ability to respond to a pandemic, she explained. There was a lot to learn and do on the fly once COVID-19 arrived, but Auch said that without a doubt, the lesson of COVID-19 was clear for Countryside. The preparation and practicing paid off.
