Monday Morning and Still No Deal
The weekend came and went without a final compromise to debt ceiling negotiations. The House of Representatives will vote on H.R. 2560 - Cut, Cap, and Balance Act of 2011on Tuesday. This legislation would require certain cuts to appropriated levels for FY 2012, progressive caps on federal spending as a percent of GDP, and that a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution be submitted to the States immediately. This legislation currently has 87 co-sponsors but is a largely symbolic vote. The Senate continues to work on the McConnell or McConnell-Reid “back-up plan” that would grant the President authority to raise the debt ceiling three times in the next 18 months to avoid default. The specifics of this deal are yet to be determined. Many Senate Republicans have stated that they would like more mandatory spending cuts included in the agreement while Democrats remain wary of cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. NRHA government affairs staff continues to lobby Congressional offices to make sure that rural facilities and beneficiaries are not harmed in these negotiations. NRHA encourages all Members of Congress to oppose any agreement that will significantly hamper rural beneficiaries’ access to care and hurt rural economies. If you would like to contact your representative about this issue, click here.