Congress Expected to Tackle Rescissions, Reconciliation, Medicaid, and Nomination Holds

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There are four major political matters expected to be tackled when Congress returns from recess. Firstly, President Trump is expected to propose “rescissions,” or cuts to current spending, possibly affecting some 1,500 local public media stations, NPR, and PBS, with Congress having 45 legislative days to accept or amend these proposals. Secondly, Republican lawmakers are seeking to expand and extend Trump’s tax cuts through the reconciliation process. Thirdly, Republicans will grapple with potential significant cuts or reforms to Medicaid in the reconciliation process. Lastly, Democratic senators are using Senate procedure to slow down or block specific Trump administration nominees.

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Four Key Politics Matters to Watch

As Congress members return from recess, focus on four key issues.

1. Rescissions

Anticipate President Donald Trump’s list of proposed spending cuts, known as rescissions, which may reach up to $9 billion. The proposal may include cuts to currently funded programs such as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, affecting many public media stations, including NPR and PBS News. Congress has 45 days to accept or amend these rescissions, or they will lapse, leaving funding as is.

2. Reconciliation

Republicans are moving towards expanding Trump’s tax cuts through a budget resolution, initiating the “reconciliation process.” The resolution sets a May 9 deadline for committees to draft tax cut details for the subsequent major bill. However, unanswered questions remain concerning spending cuts, debt ceiling increase, and which tax cuts should be implemented.

3. Medicaid’s Future

Reconciliation instructions require Republicans to decide on significant cuts or reforms to Medicaid. While House instructions necessitate Medicaid funding cuts, Senate instructions are more flexible, leading to potential disputes among Republicans on priorities. For a closer look at who uses Medicaid, check this article.

4. Nomination Holds

A few Democratic senators are using holds to slow down or block Trump’s nominees, causing significant delay or preventing a vote entirely. Notable holds have been placed by Sen. Brian Schatz on 300 nominees, Sen. Ruben Gallego on all nominees for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and others by Sen. Ron Wyden and Sen. Adam Schiff. Trump responds to these delays by threatening to use recess appointments.

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