February 28, 2025

My apologies for the duplication (if you received this directly from the National Council). I’m not sure this is a listserv for the entire National Council membership, and I thought the information was very important.

Have a good weekend. keep the faith.
Lauri

Capitol Connector, Policy into Practice
Capitol Connector
Policy Into Practice

Friday, February 28, 2025

Happening on the Hill
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives adopted its budget resolution on a mostly party-line vote [217-215], with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) joining all Democrats in opposition. The resolution now heads to the Senate for further consideration, but a timeline for action in the upper chamber is not yet clear. As negotiations between House and Senate GOP leaders continue, further changes to the House’s resolution are possible, especially surrounding the portions of the House budget blueprint that could impact Medicaid. Several Republican senators, including Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), have expressed concerns over potential Medicaid cuts. The House and Senate will need to reconcile differences between their respective budget resolutions before crafting legislation containing specific policy proposals, a process which will unfold over the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, negotiations continue between Democrats and Republicans over a potential stopgap bill to fund the federal government. Funding is currently set to expire on March 14, and Democrats are demanding that a continuing resolution (CR) or other mechanism to extend funding include language restricting the actions of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and mandating that the White House refrain from withholding congressionally approved funds. Late Thursday, President Trump called on Congress to pass a CR funding the government through Sept. 30.

Main Stories
New Executive Order on Contracts and Grants Reviews by DOGE
On Wednesday, President Trump signed an executive order (EO) allowing DOGE to scrutinize how federal agencies spend money. The EO directs agencies to work with a DOGE team lead to review contracts and grants and cut or modify them “where appropriate.” It also instructs agencies to construct a system to “record every payment” spent on contracts and grants and provide a “brief, written justification” for each payment. The EO applies to discretionary spending through federal contracts, grants, loans and related instruments, but excludes direct assistance to individuals; expenditures related to immigration enforcement, law enforcement, the military, public safety, and the intelligence community; and other critical, acute, or emergency spending. Read the EO.

HHS Proposes Eliminated Public Comment for Certain Regulations
On Friday, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., released a policy statement to be published in the Federal Register on Monday, March 3, which states that HHS intends to rescind its longstanding policy of giving members of the public an opportunity to provide comment on certain proposed agency regulations. The statement provides that in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), “matters relating to agency management or personnel or to public property, loans, grants, benefits, or contracts” are exempt from certain notice and comment procedures, except as otherwise required by law. The statement also provides that “agencies and offices of the Department” will retain “discretion to apply notice and comment procedures to these matters but are not required to do so, except as otherwise required by law.” This notice will continue to be monitored as legal challenges may develop. Check out the full story and the policy statement.

Court Finds Firings of Federal Employees Likely Unlawful
On Thursday, a federal judge found that the mass firings of probationary federal employees were likely unlawful. U.S. District Judge William Alsup ordered the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to inform certain federal agencies that OPM lacks the authority to order the firings of probationary employees. However, the order does not provide that fired employees will automatically be rehired or that future firings will not occur. An evidentiary hearing in the case is currently set for March 13. Read the full story.

HUD Launches DOGE Task Force
Last week, newly confirmed Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner announced that a DOGE task force is working to streamline HUD operations. Turner said the task force will review how HUD spends taxpayer dollars, and that it is made up of HUD employees “who will examine how to best maximize the agency’s budget and ensure all programs, processes and personnel are working together to advance the purpose of the department.” Turner also said that the task force will meet regularly and report its findings and suggestions to him, but he didn’t specify a timeline for these meetings. Read the full story.

Advocacy Corner
While specific details on budget reconciliation legislation have yet to be announced, reforms to Medicaid and other entitlement programs will likely comprise a significant portion of proposed spending cuts. Medicaid is the largest payer for substance use disorder treatment and recovery services in the country, and cuts to the program’s funding will endanger people’s lives, increase burdens on hospitals and law enforcement, and have devastating broader effects on state economies. Access to care for substance use and mental health challenges has improved a good deal in the past decade, thanks to innovative new programs and concerted efforts to reduce barriers. We need to continue that progress, not make it harder for people to get the treatment they need.

Make your voice heard!
While we expect to see specific legislative proposals soon, we need to continue our outreach to Congress now and let lawmakers know that Medicaid reforms will have a devastating impact on access to care. If you haven’t already, use our advocacy platform to send a letter to your elected officials urging them to protect access to care through Medicaid.

In addition to sending a letter, take two minutes and place a call to your member of Congress’ D.C. office. Want some pointers on what to say? Review a template call script here. Feel free to personalize and make your own! You can find your officials’ contact information here after typing in your name and address.