Lawmakers Debate Health Amendments to Defense Bill Amid Stalled Senate Budget Talks

Strategic Insights -

Lawmakers in the House have been focusing on health-related amendments to the fiscal 2012 defense authorization bill, while Senate deliberations on budget proposals remain stalled. On Wednesday, the House rejected several budget plans, with the House-passed budget blueprint, which includes a call to restructure Medicare, failing to attract enough support for regular consideration. The vote saw most Senate Republicans supporting entitlement program changes, and the proposal modeled after the president's budget plan garnering no votes from either party. As the entitlement spending issue resurfaces in June, lawmakers continue to debate the House's proposed Medicare changes.

Key Takeaways:

  • The House deliberated late into Wednesday evening on 152 possible amendments to the fiscal 2012 defense authorization bill, with a focus on health-related topics.
  • Four health-related amendments were adopted Wednesday evening, including one to limit abortion services training.
  • The Senate Special Aging Committee holds a hearing today on issues related to the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, including caregiver issues.
  • House Budget Chief Paul D. Ryan defended his Medicare proposal in a series of video messages, amidst criticism from Democrats and some wavering GOP concerns.
  • The entitlement spending issue will resurface in June as senators return from a weeklong Memorial Day recess and resume negotiations on a long-term deficit reduction plan.
  • Lawmakers have been debating the House's proposed Medicare changes, with most Senate Republicans supporting entitlement program changes and the proposal modeled after the president's budget plan failing to attract votes from either party.

Statistics:

  • 152: Number of proposed amendments to the fiscal 2012 defense authorization bill.
  • 152: Number of amendments related to defense issues, with military health topics also included.
  • 4: Number of health-related amendments adopted Wednesday evening.
  • 2: Number of House-passed budget plans rejected on Wednesday.
  • 0 votes: Number of votes garnered by the proposal modeled after the president's budget plan.
  • 1 week: Length of the Memorial Day recess for senators.
  • 12: Number of sites where hospitals avoided losses despite recession woes, according to a recent report by the Center for Studying Health System Change.

Sources:

  • CQ Today (5/25)
  • CQ HealthBeat (5/25)
  • CQ HealthBeat (5/26)
  • Roll Call (5/26)
  • Source documents, including the 5/25 House GOP letter and the 5/24 11th Circuit brief from states.