On the Hill: Reconciliation 2.0, Federal Payments Bill

Lawmakers return to Washington this week, and Republicans have less than a month to deliver their reconciliation bill to President Trump. Trump has set a June 1 deadline for Republicans to pass a bill surging $72 billion to immigration enforcement, with the bulk of it going toward Immigration and Customs Enforcement along with Border Patrol.

The proposal does not currently have funding offsets; lawmakers would be appropriating funds via the reconciliation process that would normally go through regular order. Before Republicans can vote on the bill, it'll have to go through a "Byrd Bath," where the Senate Parliamentarian decides whether individual provisions are allowed under reconciliation rules.

Committee Activity This Week

The Senate is in session Monday through Friday, and the House is in session Tuesday through Friday.

House Republicans are advancing a bill that would dramatically expand the administration's authority to withhold payments in Medicaid and other federal programs. Rep. James Comer (R-Ken.), Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and lead sponsor of the bill, said during a recent markup that the bill (H.R. 8464) would require the heads of agencies to delay, condition, or segment a payment request if there is an indication of an "elevated risk" of fraud.

The bill was advanced on party lines by the Oversight committee along with a set of other anti-fraud measures. Cracking down on fraud has become a key part of Republicans' midterm messaging, and measures like H.R. 8464 could be included in a potential third reconciliation package later this year.

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