Today on the Hill: House Democrats Seek to Overturn Medicaid Block Grant Proposal

House lawmakers will convene today as Democrats prepare to rebuke the Trump administration’s recently announced Medicaid block grant proposal. The lower chamber will consider a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would overturn recent guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to allow states to accept capped Medicaid funding in exchange for more flexibility in spending the money. The resolution is not likely to be taken up by the Senate; however, Democratic Senators could introduce a similar effort as a means of messaging against the block grant guidance.

Also on the House floor today, lawmakers will take up a bill out of the Education and Labor Committee that would amend the National Labor Relations Act and related labor laws to extend protections for union workers. Final passage of the measure — which includes provisions that prohibit employers from interfering in union elections and facilitate initial collective bargaining agreements for new unions — will occur prior to the end of this week following consideration of 16 amendments to the underlying text. The bill is not expected to be taken up in the GOP-controlled Senate after the Trump administration argued that it would stymie job growth and undermine the president’s deregulatory agenda in a veto threat earlier this week.

Meanwhile, Senators will resume legislative business on Monday following the acquittal of President Donald Trump yesterday. The Senate is expected to focus on confirming presidential nominations when it returns, starting with the nomination of Andrew Brasher to be Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit Court.