Senate Approves Short-term Debt Limit Extension
On Thursday, the Senate voted to approve a bill to extend the federal debt limit until December 3, 2021, allowing the U.S. to avoid a default on its debt in the next few weeks. Testifying before Congress last week, Treasury Secretary Yellen warned that Treasury projected that the U.S. government would default on its national debt by October 18, unless Congress raises the debt ceiling in advance. With the current national debt at $28 trillion, the Senate bill provides for the debt limit to increase by $480 billion, to $28.8 trillion. This is the sum that Treasury estimated will be necessary to allow it to pay for spending until December 3. The temporary debt ceiling extension would address the immediate threat of a default, but only in the short term. If Congress can’t come to an agreement to again extend the debt limit by early December, the Treasury Department warned that it wouldn’t be able to deploy the same actions again to delay default and to keep paying the bills on time. The debt limit extension bill will now move to the House for approval. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) stated she expects to take up the legislation early next week and that the House is widely expected to approve the Senate’s version of the bill and send it to President Joe Biden before the October 18 deadline.
Build Back Better Affordable Housing Provisions Face Funding Reductions or Elimination
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, sent a letter this week calling on President Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to include the Committee-passed housing provisions of the Build Back Better spending plan currently under negotiation. The letter was in response to recent reports indicating the White House and congressional leaders are considering cutting or reallocating $300 billion in housing aid that was originally included in President Biden’s $3.5 trillion spending plan. On September 13, the House Financial Services Committee approved $327 billion to provide increased investments in housing resources, such as affordable housing, public housing, home down-payment assistance, and efforts to end homelessness. However, NAHMA continues to hear that funding for affordable housing is likely to be cut from the bill to lower the price tag of the overall spending plan proposal by as much as $2 trillion. The Chairwoman’s letter, signed by every Democrat member on the Financial Services Committee, reiterated the need for including affordable housing provisions that would provide significant new resources affordable housing. At the time of publication, it remains unclear if the White House’s position. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats need to overcome an internal disagreement to support a $3.5 trillion plan. Key moderate Senators are urging the White House and Congressional Leadership to compromise and support a bill that does not go beyond $1.5 trillion.
To view the letter sent by Chairwoman Waters, click here.
Senate Holds Hearing on VAWA Reauthorization
On Tuesday, the full Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on renewing and strengthening the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Originally passed in 1994, VAWA created the first U.S. federal legislation which acknowledged the criminality of sexual assault and domestic violence and provided funding for domestic violence resources. The legislation, which requires legislative renewal every five years, initially expired in late 2018 due to the government shutdown and again in February 2019. Though funding for critical programs has continued, Congress is currently considering a reauthorization bill to modernize and strengthen VAWA. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chairman of the Committee, reiterated the importance of renewing and strengthening VAWA during his opening remarks. “Over the past 18 months, many survivors had been forced into the most vulnerable position of all: Isolated at home with an abuser. During this pandemic, nearly four in ten rape crisis centers—and nearly half of YWCA domestic violence programs—have reported an increase in demand for their services. Police departments throughout the country have also reported a spike in arrests and calls related to domestic violence,” said the Chairman.
Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), a survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence, testified in support of the Senate passing a bipartisan and modernized bill that ensure survivors, including those in rural communities, are prioritized and perpetrators are held accountable. During her testimony, Sen. Ernst stated that a modernized and bipartisan bill that will pass the Senate must present a renewed focus on rural survivors and invest in proven programs that reduce violence. “When you live in an area like mine, rural Montgomery County, Iowa, with a population of just over 10,000 people, the nearest shelter is an hour away in Council Bluffs. We’ve got to fix that,” she said. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco also testified before the committee about the importance of centering on the needs of LGBTQ and Communities of Color, rural and other underserved communities, and that closes the so-called ‘boyfriend loophole,’ a federal law prohibiting domestic abusers from having guns, but only if they have been married to, have lived with, or have a child with the victim. It law does not otherwise prohibit abusive dating partners from having guns. The House of Representatives passed H.R. 1620, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021, with bipartisan support in mid-March of this year. It remains unclear at this time when the full Senate will begin to consider legislation reauthorizing VAWA. However, NAHMA will continue to monitor the legislative progress of the VAWA Reauthorization Act closely.
To view the full Judiciary Committee hearing on VAWA reauthorization, click here.