Congress’ refusal to provide additional funding for the Social Security Administration in September’s two-month continuing resolution to prevent a government shutdown is kneecapping two tools that are key to combatting the agency’s customer service crisis.
The candidates have demonstrated different budget priorities when it comes to the role of science and research funding in the federal government, but have taken similar approaches in the technology competition with China.
With just one week left in the session before Congress departs for a six-week election break, there’s not much time for leaders to find consensus, draft a bill, hold votes in both chambers and secure President Joe Biden’s signature.
VA officials outlined how a surge in PACT Act claims outpaced initial budget projections in a Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday, days before a processing deadline affecting the benefit payments of 7 million veterans.
The chamber advanced the multi-billion-dollar stopgap bill by voice vote Tuesday evening, giving the Senate three days to pass the legislation to cover a budget shortfall.
The commissioner said that without a budget anomaly to boost funding at the agency, the Social Security Administration would need to institute a hiring freeze and would see its workforce fall to a 50-year low.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., walked back a plan to fund the federal government for six months Wednesday after Democrats and some Republicans balked at the proposal.
The House last weekend unveiled a continuing resolution that would fund federal programs for six months at fiscal 2024 levels and institute new voter ID provisions, a nonstarter for Democrats.
Witnesses at a congressional hearing last week touted the federal government’s response to last year’s disaster but said long-term recovery is in jeopardy.
The Office of Management and Budget made the requests as part of the process by which the White House and Congress prepare for the potential need to pass a short-term continuing resolution in September.
Chief Randy Moore said in a statement that the agency is preparing for a pared-down appropriation following the end of the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding.
The agency said that no additional funding and a high pay increase for federal employees helped create its budget shortfall, but GOP leaders called it a failure to adjust spending.
The HHS rule would require wage and benefit increases for Head Start staff, but Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., claimed the proposed changes would reduce funded, if vacant, slots in the education program.