Fiscal Year 2019

House and Senate leaders are working to negotiate an agreement on the final seven spending bills, particularly the Department of Homeland Security bill, which is where any funding for a southern border wall or border security would come from. However, reports indicate that very little has been accomplished this week. Legislators have until February 15 to reach a comprise, before causing another partial government shutdown.

Meanwhile, a couple of bipartisan bills have been introduced this week that would prevent a government shutdown by triggering a continuing resolution (CR), or funding programs at the levels agreed on in the previous year’s funding bill, in the case that legislators are unable to come to an agreement on funding in the future; any final decision on these bills will not be made before the February 15 deadline. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the last partial government shutdown cost the government $11 billion, and estimates that $3 billion will never be recovered.

The President’s Budget, which lays out the administration’s priorities for the upcoming fiscal year and kicks off the budget process, but does not have the force of the law, is expected to be late this year In a statement made by the Director of the National Economic Council said that this year’s budget from the President will most likely include at least five percent reductions across the board for non-defense discretionary accounts.

House Republican LHHS Assignments

House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Kay Granger has announced Republican assignments for the Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) subcommittee for the 116th Congress. Members include:

• Rep. Tom Cole (OK), Ranking Member
• Rep. Andy Harris (MD)
• Rep. Jaime Hererra Beutler (WA)
• Rep. John Moolenaar (MI)
• Rep. Tom Graves (GA)

State of the Union Address

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi invited President Trump to give the State of the Union Address on February 5 and he accepted.