The Coalition on Human Needs just released our latest edition of the Human Needs Report. Read on for articles on the Senate’s latest efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the House FY18 budget blueprint, House and Senate spending work, and efforts to repeal a new consumer financial protection rule.

Click here for a PDF version of the Human Needs Report.

Senate GOP Push Repeal Bill Vote this Week
It’s been a busy week in the world of health care. While efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act seemed close to dead last week, Senate leadership continue to try to revive their repeal and replace bill, and a vote on a bill could take place as early as Tuesday, July 25. Senate leaders are using a special process known as reconciliation where only 51 votes are needed to move a bill, but it is unclear if they can meet this threshold or even which bill they will take up. READ MORE »

House Budget Committee Passes FY18 Budget
The House Budget Committee passed the FY18 budget proposal put forth by the GOP on July 19. The blueprint sets limits on discretionary (annually appropriated) spending at $621.6 billion for Department of Defense programs, which is $72 billion more than current law allows for for FY18 and more than $19 million more than President Trump requested. On the other hand, it sets spending limits for nondefense discretionary programs at $511 billion for FY18, $5 billion lower than the already-austere sequester funding level allowed by current law. READ MORE »

FY18 Appropriations Process Underway; House to Vote on Security Spending Package this Week
Appropriations season is underway, but spending bills in the House may be doing nothing more than setting up a showdown this fall with the Senate. Floor action in the House is expected to start this week as the chamber takes up a package of four security-related FY18 appropriations bills. But many in D.C. are already predicting that a stopgap spending measure known as a continuing resolution will be needed to keep the government operating at current funding levels when the new fiscal year starts October 1. READ MORE »

CFPB Issues Rule to Help Consumers Fight Back, but Some in Congress Move to Repeal It
Consumer advocates celebrated on July 10 when, after more than five years of studying the problem, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule to ensure consumers can challenge big banks in court. But the celebration may be short-lived, as the House is expected to vote to repeal the rule on Tuesday, July 25. READ MORE »

These articles are from the latest edition of the Human Needs Report, the regular newsletter on national policy issues affecting low-income and vulnerable populations, from the Coalition on Human Needs. Sign up to get the Human Needs Report delivered directly to your inbox, subscribe to our blog for the latest news, analysis and updates, and follow CHN on Facebook and Twitter.