House Republicans held a retreat in Florida last week to try to reach an agreement on the framework for a bill that would extend expiring tax cuts and make massive cuts to benefit programs, including Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; also known as “food stamps”), and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Despite leaving the retreat without an agreement, Republican leaders are still planning on moving forward this week on putting together the framework for the legislation.
Republicans are planning on moving the bill through a process known as “budget reconciliation,” which speeds up the legislative process by limiting debate time on a bill and allowing the bill to pass through the Senate with a simple majority of 51 votes, rather than the 60 votes usually required. In exchange for this faster process, the kind of policies lawmakers can enact through reconciliation are limited to those with a direct impact on federal spending, revenues, or the debt ceiling. Because Republicans control both chambers of Congress and the White House, they can enact a reconciliation package without any bipartisan support.
This week, the House Budget Committee is aiming to complete a process known as “mark up,” the first step in putting together the reconciliation bill. During mark up, the House Budget Committee will create a broad framework for spending and cuts that would be included in the reconciliation bill, with the goal of passing the framework on the House floor next week and having both the House and Senate pass the same framework by the end of February.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) stated that his caucus feels comfortable moving forward without an agreement because the framework will act as a “floor” for potential tax breaks and benefit cuts, not a ceiling, indicating that some House Republicans may pursue even deeper cuts to mandatory programs than those provided in the framework. A memo released last month by the House Budget Committee outlines a “menu of options” detailing up to $5 trillion in cuts to federal programs that could be enacted through reconciliation.
While housing assistance has not been named as a potential target for cuts, the anti-poverty programs being considered play a crucial role in economic stability for people and families with low incomes, helping them put food on the table and receive needed medical care. The financial assistance these programs provide also promotes housing stability: by helping families afford the cost of food and other necessities, more money is left over at the end of the month to ensure rent is paid. States can also use Medicaid to cover health-related social needs, including housing. NLIHC will continue working with our partners to monitor and oppose any reconciliation proposal that would cut funding for these vital anti-poverty programs.