165: Christmas Dingleberries Congressional Dish

  Right before Christmas, the government was temporarily funded for the fourth time this fiscal year, but this latest funding law came with a few surprises. In this episode, a feisty Jen outlines the law to expose a favor to the war industry, damage to the Affordable Care Act, a bad sign for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, a giant loophole that paved the way for a new mountain of government debt, and more. You’ll also learn about an “uncontroversial” bill that reduces accountability for foreign fighters who abuse women and that showers literal gifts upon a secretive Drug War commission. But it’s not all bad news! There’s also a reason for hope. Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD161: Please Support Congressional Dish to contribute using credit card, debit card, PayPal, or Bitcoin to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Register for Bills : Continuing Appropriations Act, Department of Defense Missile Defeat and Defense Enhancements Appropriations Act, CHIP and Public Health Funding Extension Act, 2018 Extends 2017 funding levels until January 19, 2018 Delays the repeal of FISA warrantless spying authorities until January 19, 2018. Missile Defeat and Defense Enhancements Appropriates over $3.8 billion for emergency ballistic missile equipment and research. : Missile Construction Enhancements Appropriates $200 million, available until September 30, 2022 to construct an emergency missile field in Alaska General Provisions Clarifies that the money in this law for the Department of Defense will be in addition to the money it will be appropriated for 2018. For the extra money given to the military in this law, this section creates an exception that no new projects can be started with it. Clarifies that this money is being appropriated as an emergency requirement. : Health Provisions : Public Health Extenders Appropriates $550 million for community health centers and $65 million for the for the first half of 2018 Appropriates $37.5 million for a program for type I diabetes for the first half of 2018 : Cuts [the authorization for the Prevention and Public Health Fund](http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:42%20section:300u-11%20edition:prelim) - 2019: Authorization decreases from $900 million to $800 million (was supposed to be $2 billion annually) - 2020 & 2021: Authorization decreases from $1 billion to $800 million - 2022: Authorization decreases from $1.5 billion to $1.25 billion. Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Appropriates $2.85 billion for the Children's Health Insurance Program through March 31, 2018, which is a cut from . : VA Choice Appropriates an additional $2.1 billion for the . Budgetary Effects The budgetary effects of the money for CHIP and VA Choice on the PAYGO scorecard will not be counted. : The effects of the tax bill (the "Reconciliation Act" authorized by ) will not be considered in the PAYGO budget. : Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act   : Orders a bunch of foreign policy related reports to be given to the Appropriations Committees in the House and the Senate. Changes the to remove the requirement for "swift and effective disciplinary action against" police or troops of UN countries who sexually exploit or abuse people during their peacekeeping missions. In it's place, the requirement will be that the countries will have to "appropriately hold accountable" their personnel, which is left undefined. Allows members of the Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission to "solicit, accept, use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of money, services, or property, both real and personal, for the purpose of carrying out any duty, power, or authority of the Commission." Additional Reading Article: by Mike DeBonis, The Washington Post, January 10, 2018. Art