Happy New Year from NECA Government Affairs!

 Congress Faces Critical Deadlines Entering 2022

As we look to 2022, the Senate will return for legislative session on January 3, while the House is set to return to Washington on January 10. Congress will be faced with several deadlines in the first quarter of 2022. See the list below and read more here.

Congressional Deadlines

Funding the Government / Appropriations

February 18, 2022

An omnibus combined with the COVID relief package, which funded the government for the rest of FY 2021, was signed into law in late December 2020 and set the funding levels on which most federal programs are still currently running. In early December, Congress enacted a continuing resolution to fund the government until Feb. 18, 2022, after which congressional leaders hope to complete work on FY 2022 appropriations. Q&A: Everything You Should Know About Government Shutdowns; Appropriations Watch

National Flood Insurance Program Authorization Expires

February 18, 2022

A short-term flood insurance extension was included in the December 2021 CR. More on NFIP

Authorization of TANF & Related Programs Expires

February 18, 2022

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the Child Care Entitlement to States were extended for roughly two months in the December 2021 CR. 

Student Loan Executive Order

May 1, 2022

After the CARES Act suspended payments for federal student loans, an August 2020 executive order provided for continued student loan deferral and 0% interest rate, which was later extended to January 31. President Biden asked the Department of Education to further extend it through September and then an additional extension through January, for a total extension of nearly 22 months. In late December, Biden announced a further three-month extension until May.

Delay of 2% Medicare Sequester

March 21, 2022/June 30, 2022

The December 2020 COVID relief and omnibus package delayed the 2% Medicare sequester cuts that were supposed to resume January 1, 2021, for three additional months. Legislation to again delay the sequester was enacted in the spring, ultimately extending the policy through the end of the year. On December 7, the House passed a bill to delay the Medicare sequester until the second half of FY 2022, by a 222-212 vote. The Senate passed the legislation on Dec. 9 by a 59-35 vote, and the President signed it on Dec. 10. Under the recent legislation, the Medicare sequester would be completely delayed until the end of March 2022, then reduced to 1 percent (from 2 percent) through June 30, 2022.

Source: Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, www.crfb.org

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James Farrell

Executive Director

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Jared Karbowsky

Director

443-975-2932

Hadlea Bender

Specialist

713-870-8619

Jessica Cardenas

Executive Director, Development & Engagement

570-709-7129