House passes stopgap bill Tuesday night to fund government and community health centers

The House on Tuesday night voted 245-182 to fund a stopgap bill to keep the government running through March 23.

The continuing resolution avoided a government shutdown at midnight Thursday. It now goes to the Senate.

House members were expected to act Tuesday as House Democrats are scheduled to go on their annual policy retreat on Wednesday.

The bill includes a two-year extension to fund community health centers for low income Americans. It also delays scheduled Medicaid cuts to disproportionate share hospitals that have a larger population of low-income patients.

Prior to the vote, Bruce Siegel, MD, president and CEO of America's Essential Hospitals thanked congressional leaders for considering delaying the Medicaid DSH payment cuts.

"These cuts--$2 billion in the current fiscal year and $43 billion overall through FY 2025--jeopardize access to care for millions of low-income Americans and lifesaving services to communities. A two-year delay averts a combined $5 billion in cuts, pays for itself, and gives Congress and hospitals time to work together on long-term solutions to the financial burden of uncompensated care."

Senate leaders said earlier on Tuesday that they were close to a two-year budget deal.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday he was optimistic they would soon be able to reach an agreement.

However, President Donald Trump said to bring on the shutdown if there's no deal on border security and tougher immigration measures.

"If we don't get rid of these loopholes where killers are allowed to come into our country and continue to kill … if we don't change it, let's have a shutdown," Trump said at a White House roundtable on  gang violence, according to Politico. "We'll do a shutdown, and it's worth it for our country. I'd love to see a shutdown if we don't get this stuff taken care of."

Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: susan.morse@himssmedia.com