CARH’s BROADCAST EMAIL – Legislative Update

September 28, 2018

President Trump today signed into law H.R. 6157 – Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019 (Public Law number has yet to be assigned). This legislation is a short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, and will keep the agencies whose appropriations were not approved in the legislation, funded through December 7.

While both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have reported their versions of the HUD and USDA spending bills (HUD – H.R. 6072 and S. 3023; USDA – H.R. 5961 and S. 2976), neither the full House or full Senate acted on these bills. As was reported in the August 7^th Broadcast Email, the Senate, and in early September the House, passed a series of “minibus appropriations measures – H.R. 6147 – that contained funding for both HUD and USDA’s housing programs. Unfortunately, a conference committee was not able to resolve the differences between to the two passed versions of H.R. 6147.

The CR was cleared by the House of Representatives on September 26^th by a vote of 361-61 and by the Senate on September 19^th by a vote of 93-7. The CR runs through December 9, requiring lawmakers to return to Washington for a lame duck session after the November elections to pass full year appropriations for the remaining agency appropriations bills.

It is unclear as to how long Congress will be in session when they return after the November elections. While most lame-duck sessions do not result in major legislation that alters existing law, it is possible that the session in December could be different if there is a shift in the majority party. Therefore, it is important that CARH members continue their grassroots contacts with their members of Congress and staff.

CARH members are encouraged to use the prepared issue briefs outlining CARH’s positions on both funding, housing policy and tax issues, particularly legislation which would enhance the housing credit and housing bond programs. The three relevant issue briefs are: Housing Credit and Housing Bond Programs, Rural Housing and Role of Affordable Rental Housing in Rural America, and Infrastructure and Rural Housing. These issue briefs were used in recent Congressional meetings by CARH’s board of directors on September 5^th during their most recent board meeting. In addition, use this time that members of Congress are in their districts and states and invite them and their staffs to your properties so that they can see first-hand the work you do for rural affordable housing.

Please contact the CARH national office at carh@carh.org or 703-837-9001 should you have questions.