- The Senate is scheduled to vote Monday on a motion to advance a temporary government funding bill that includes a suspension of the debt ceiling. Republicans are still planning to block the bill because of the debt ceiling provision, which they oppose. If the bill fails, Democrats have two options to address the possible shutdown looming at the end of the month: remove the debt ceiling provision from the bill and pass it with GOP support, or let the government go unfunded and blame their Republican colleagues. (Articles here and here)
- Senator Joe Manchin said he doesn’t support expanding Medicare benefits without first addressing the program’s long-term solvency. “I’ll say this about Medicare: We need to stabilize it. By 2026, you understand the trust fund is going to be insolvent. …I want to make sure we are stabilizing what we have before we start going down this expansion role,” Manchin said. Moderate Democrats have also argued that the chamber should focus on shoring up the ACA before expanding coverage. (Articles here and here)
September 24, 2021
D.C. News