Key Issues to Watch as Congress Returns Next Week

Congress returns next week, facing key issues: proposed $9 billion rescissions from Trump, a critical budget resolution aimed at tax cuts, looming decisions over Medicaid reforms, and Democratic senators using holds to delay Trump’s nominees. These topics could significantly influence upcoming legislation and political dynamics.

As Congress gears up to return from its break, there are four critical issues to keep an eye on. First, the President’s proposed rescissions are expected. Sources indicate that President Trump will send a list of suggested budget cuts this week, potentially totaling around $9 billion. This is notably different from typical cuts, which deal with future budgets. Notably, the proposed cuts could eliminate funding for entities like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, impacting about 1,500 local public media outlets, including NPR and PBS.

Next is the reconciliation process. Recently, Republican lawmakers made headway by passing a budget resolution, which includes tax cuts and lets them move forward with a simple majority in the Senate. However, they’re facing a tight deadline, as committees are expected to draft the tax cut sections by May 9. But this task isn’t straightforward. Several critical questions remain unanswered: what spending cuts need to be made? How much will the debt ceiling rise? Which tax cuts will be implemented, for whom, and for what duration?

Then, there’s the significant question of Medicaid’s future. During reconciliation, Republicans will need to confront whether to cut or reform the program. The House guidelines indicate that achieving their goals likely requires cutting Medicaid funds. Yet the Senate’s directives are less stringent, potentially leading to intense negotiations between the two chambers on this aspect of Trump’s proposed comprehensive legislation.

Finally, we have nomination holds making headlines. A group of Democratic senators has started using a process known as placing holds to delay or block nominations from the Trump administration. This tactic means that some nominees cannot be fast-tracked, which could severely delay approvals. For instance, Senator Brian Schatz has placed holds on about 300 nominees, including those for the State Department, citing concerns over cuts to agencies like USAID. Similar actions have been taken by Senators Ruben Gallego, Ron Wyden, and Adam Schiff concerning other nominations. Trump has expressed frustration about these delays, even hinting at using recess appointments to circumvent the hold-up.

Original Source: www.pbs.org