#senate-bill-2322

#senate-bill-2322

The Senate unanimously approved a bill Thursday to partially reopen the Department of Homeland Security, sending it back to the House as Washington edges closer to ending the longest-ever partial government shutdown.

Without effective copyright protections, there is a grave risk that these organizations will no longer be able to produce the high-quality codes and standards that the public and lawmakers have come to rely on.

"Sports prediction contracts are sports bets - just with a different name. And yet, these contracts are currently offered in all fifty states in clear violation of state and federal law."

The amendment failed in a 49-41 vote, as lawmakers remain deadlocked over the broader bill, which faces unified Democratic opposition and a hurdle of the 60-vote threshold needed to advance.

If we want to bring down the cost of housing, we've got to build a lot more. And what I love about this bill is that it has more than 40 different provisions in it, all of which aim in the same direction, which is to give a push toward building more housing.

The Social Security Fairness Act, signed on January 5, 2025, eliminated two reductions known as the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. In plain terms: if you received a pension from a job that did not pay into Social Security, such as many state and local government positions, those provisions had been cutting your Social Security benefit, sometimes dramatically. Now they cannot.

The loan limits-which were prompted by congressional legislation and fleshed out through a contentious rule-making process -cap the amount a graduate student can borrow based on the type of program they enroll in. If their program is deemed "professional," they can borrow up to $50,000 a year or $200,000 total; meanwhile, students in programs labeled "graduate" can only take out half that-$20,500 a year or $100,000 total. Under the proposed regulations, only 11 degree programs are considered professional.

The KIDS Act, which is sponsored by Congressman Brett Guthrie (R-KY), encompasses several child safety laws. That includes a version of the latest House Republican update to the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) without the "duty of care" provision central to the Senate's bipartisan version of the bill, which requires big tech platforms to mitigate risks to minors.

The 340B program allows hospitals to buy outpatient drugs at steep discounts, with the purported purpose of helping them fund care for low-income and uninsured patients. The now-axed rebate model would have invited drugmakers to participate voluntarily in a rebate-based discount system. Basically, instead of the provider receiving a discount upfront at purchase, the 340B discount would be applied after purchase via rebate - and subject to tedious data submission requirements.

Industry lawsuits quickly blocked most of the regulation, with two federal courts ruling that Medicare exceeded its authority. Following the 2024 elections, Congress barred implementation of the standards before 2034. Last month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) repealed the rule entirely. Hunter called the move devastating with advocates saying it signals a retreat from oversight. It's clear (CMS) has no interest in ensuring adequate staffing, said Sam Brooks of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care.

Medical inflation runs on its own clock, and the coverage decisions you make at 65 determine whether a serious illness costs you a manageable sum or a devastating one. Healthcare is the single most unpredictable variable in retirement planning because it combines three separate uncertainties: how fast costs will rise, how much care you will need, and which coverage structure you choose.

Once we get past this issue, there's decent agreement on everything else,

The bills are strikingly clean,

A month ago, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, was projecting confidence that a bipartisan group of lawmakers was nearing a deal to restore lapsed health insurance subsidies. The enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies expired at the end of last year, despite a majority of Americans in favor of Congress renewing them, according to polling from the nonprofit KFF. "We're in the red zone," Moreno told reporters. "But that does not mean a touchdown. It could mean a 95-yard fumble."