Measure includes health extenders, extensions for flood insurance, Ex-Im Bank; Senate will take up CR next week

On September 19, the House passed, 301-123, a continuing resolution (HR 4378) or "CR" to keep the government funded through November 21. Two hundred and twenty-five Democrats and 76 Republicans supported the bill, while 119 Republicans, two Democrats and one independent (Justin Amash of Michigan) voted against it. The Senate is expected to consider the CR next week.

PDFs of the text of the CR and a section-by-section staff summary are attached with this alert.

In addition to government funding, the bill includes temporary reauthorizations of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the Export-Import Bank through November 21. Both are set to expire on September 30. According to a summary, the CR includes these notable "Anomalies and Technical Fixes":

• Funding to ramp up 2020 Census preparations
• Ukraine funding extension
• Specialty Crop Research program technical correction
• Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) fix with new transparency and reporting language
• Mass Transit account fix
• 9/11 health program fix

The measure includes a group of so-called "health extenders" negotiated by the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees. In a press release from the House Democratic leadership, Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) said, "I'm pleased that we were able to come to a short-term agreement to extend critical public health programs expiring at the end of the month including Community Health Centers, Medicaid in Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories and the Demonstration Program for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. This agreement will ensure Americans continue to have access to these vital public health programs while Congress works toward a long-term agreement."

In the same release, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) said, "This temporary patch ensures the uninterrupted continuation of a variety of health care services and expands the availability of treatment to a greater number of World Trade Center first responders and survivors. Importantly, the measure also prevents the disruption of child care, workforce development, and other key family supports. While I welcome the momentary certainty the CR delivers, we must keep working to reach a long-term, bipartisan agreement that provides affected patients and families real peace of mind."

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ATTACHMENT

HR4378 Summary

HR4378 Text