The federal government is headed toward a likely shutdown starting this Sunday, October 1, after current fiscal year appropriations expire on Saturday night.
The shutdown impacts funding for all twelve of the annual appropriations bills, as so far none of the 2024 appropriations have been signed into law. Lawmakers have also yet to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to serve as a stop-gap measure until a broader agreement can be reached. Essential services, mandatory programs, and programs funded outside of annual appropriations will continue during the shutdown (more on this below).
Just before 2:00 p.m. ET today, the House voted 198-232, failing to pass H.R. 5525, a CR to fund the government for one month while negotiating a broader agreement. That package would have faced significant opposition in the Democratically-controlled Senate, and the White House separately issued a Statement of Administration Policy that it would veto it should it come to the president, claiming that it makes "reckless cuts to programs." Concurrently with attempting to pass a CR, the House has passed four of the twelve spending bills on the floor: Defense, Homeland Security, State-Foreign Operations, and Military-Construction-Veterans Affairs; however, none of these have been taken up yet by the Senate.
The Senate voted 77-19 on Tuesday to begin consideration of a CR to fund the government through November 17, along with providing roughly $6 billion in aid to Ukraine and $6 billion for natural disaster relief (these elements are likely to face strong opposition among both House and Senate Republicans). A final vote on the CR is expected this weekend. The Senate has not passed any of the twelve appropriations bills on the floor, but has advanced all of them out of committee.
Both chambers would need to pass the CR for it to be sent to President Biden and signed into law in order to avert a shutdown.
The death of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who passed away overnight at the age of 90, could also impact negotiations with a vacancy in the chamber. Feinstein had been actively voting in the Senate through yesterday, so a vacancy would mean one fewer vote for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to secure passage of an agreement to reopen the government. Democrats retain control of the chamber, with 50 senators in their caucus (47 Democrats, plus three independents who caucus with the Democrats) to the 49 Republicans in the Senate.
As lawmakers continue negotiations this week, Argentum is reiterating its concerns about the shutdown's impact not only on the American economy and ability of the federal government to provide critical services to the public, but also because it will likely slow down consideration of a number of bills important to our nation’s seniors.
Specifically, proposed legislation to expand veterans’ access to assisted living (H.R. 1815 and S. 495) or expand eligible uses of tax-favorable 529 savings plans to cover costs associated with workforce training (H.R. 1477 and S. 722) would stall. The reintroduction of the SENIOR Act, to address the industry's workforce needs and improve access and affordability, would also be delayed.
More troubling, dramatic cuts to workforce training programs, including a proposed elimination of Job Corps and cutting essential workforce grants and apprenticeship programs, would once again be on the table. Argentum vehemently opposes these cuts and is urging support of the package advanced by the Senate Appropriations Committee, which included funding for federal training programs directly benefiting senior living: Job Corps, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and federal apprenticeship programs. You can help us in our efforts by sending a pre-written message to your member of Congress and senators encouraging them to maintain spending for workforce training programs that are crucial for our industry.
If lawmakers are unable to pass a CR or broader appropriations before Saturday night, and thereby force a shutdown, it would include the following impacts:
- Social Security: Existing beneficiaries will not be impacted; checks will continued to be issued and delivered. New benefit verification and card issuance would be paused.
- Medicare: Beneficiaries will not be impacted; Medicare coverage will continue uninterrupted.
- Medicaid: Beneficiaries will not be impacted; Medicaid coverage, including for Home and Community Based Services, will continue uninterrupted.
- Veterans Affairs: Beneficiaries will continue to receive benefits; new applications for benefits or appeals may be delayed.
- Public Health: COVID-19 vaccine development, authorization, and clinical trials would continue under existing funding; CDC and FDA monitoring activities, including for the flu and other infectious diseases, may be limited.
- U.S. Postal Service: Mail, including parcels such as mail-order medications, will continue to be delivered.
- Small Business Administration: The SBA would need to furlough most staff; it would not be able to process applications for loans and loan guarantees.
For more information on how the shutdown will impact senior living, watch this month's Argentum Advocates member briefing.
