The 118th Congress wrapped up its final session days of 2024 by passing a second Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend federal funding through March 14, 2025. H.R. 10545 passed the U.S. House and Senate with overwhelming bipartisan votes just hours before the deadline to avert a government shutdown. The CR was slimmed down from an initial broad-spanning agreement between Senate Democratic and House Republican leadership. Beyond extending government funding, the legislation included an extension of the farm bill, disaster funding (including additional payments to the Child Care and Development Block Grant), and an extension of various health care and social services initiatives.
PPC is happy to announce that the package of Title IV-B reauthorization bills was also passed in the final days of the 2023-24 legislative session. The bipartisan Protecting America’s Children by Strengthening Families Act (H.R. 9076) passed the Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent on December 21, 2024, and was signed into law by President Biden on January 4, 2025. This package of bills reauthorizes the Title IV-B program through 2029 and includes significant new reforms. Some provisions include providing additional support for kinship caregivers, providing states with flexibility in providing direct cash assistance to avoid child placement due to poverty, and court modernization.
The 119th Congress was sworn in on January 3, 2025. In the House, Republicans maintained control with a narrower margin of 220-215; the GOP took control of the Senate 53-27. Speaker Mike Johnson was re-elected to his leadership role in the House, while Senator John Thune took over from Senator Mitch McConnell as Republican leader. On January 6, 2025, the House and Senate convened a joint session to count electoral votes and certify former President Trump’s victory.
Republican leadership in the House and Senate signaled their top priorities, including immigration and border security, energy policy, and the extension of tax cuts passed in 2017. Speaker Johnson proposed a plan to fast-track much of his party’s agenda through the budget reconciliation process. Congress also faces a rapidly approaching deadline to raise the debt limit so the nation does not default. Republican leadership has eyed cuts to social welfare programs like Medicaid and SNAP to appease conservative members who oppose increasing the debt ceiling without accompanying cuts in spending.
PPC will continue to advocate for Pennsylvania’s children and families who rely on federally funded programs for health insurance, early learning supports, and nutrition assistance.