House Votes to Rescind Certain CHIP, CMMI Funding

The House of Representatives last night voted 210-206 to approve legislation (H.R. 3) that would rescind about $15 billion in prior appropriations to federal programs, including nearly $7 billion from the Children’s Health Insurance Program and $800 million from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. The CHIP funds include $5.1 billion authorized by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 to supplement the 2017 national allotments to states, and $1.8 billion from the fiscal year 2018 CHIP Contingency Fund, which provides payments to states that experience funding shortfalls due to higher than expected enrollment. The CMMI funds were authorized for FYs 2011-2019. Under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, Congress has 45 days to enact rescissions after they are proposed by the president, giving the Senate until June 22 to pass the legislation by a simple majority. The rescissions were proposed last month by the White House Office of Management and Budget.