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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 21 december 2017

Problems loom, but Congress likely to punt them to next year

By ANDREW TAYLOR soon-to-expire surveillance ing program that pays for
Associated Press program that gives the U.S. veterans to seek care out-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Con- government authority to side the Department of
gress is rushing to adjourn spy on the electronic com- Veterans Affairs system ap-
for Christmas, but it’s look- munications of foreigners pears likely. The VA Choice
ing increasingly likely they located outside the United program arose from a 2014
are going to leave plenty States. scandal in which veterans
of unfinished work. Here’s a rundown on Wash- were denied care. Chil-
More than $80 billion in ington’s crunch of unfin- dren’s health. With chanc-
disaster aid, long-term ished business: es for a long-term extension
funding for a widely popu- of the popular Children’s
lar, low-cost health insur- HAPPENING NOW Health Insurance Program
ance program for 9 million Government funding. A fading, efforts were un-
children, and protection shutdown at midnight Fri- derway for a patch to en-
against deportation for day appears to be off the sure states facing shortfalls
young immigrants in the table, unless there is some won’t have to purge chil- The Capitol Christmas tree is illuminated in Washington, Tuesday,
country illegally are being genuine incompetence dren from the program. It Dec. 19, 2017. Congress is rushing to adjourn for Christmas, but
kicked to next year. among congressional lead- pays for health care for 9 it’s looking increasingly likely they are going to leave plenty of
Facing a midnight Friday ers. Instead, a temporary, million children from low- unfinished work.
deadline, a government government-wide funding income families, and au- (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
shutdown appears likely bill would finance agencies thorization for it expired on dire. Foreign surveillance. annual agency operations.
to be averted. Temporary through Jan. 19. Oct. 1. States have been A soon-to-expire foreign Immigration. A move by
fixes are in the works for limping along on unused intelligence collection pro- President Donald Trump
several issues, including a MOSTLY PUNTED funds and a prior short-term gram appears likely to win to rescind an Obama-era
short-term solution for chil- Private-sector VA care. A fix, but the need for a long- a short-term extension. The executive order that pro-
dren’s health care and a short-term fix for an expir- term solution is becoming surveillance program gives tected immigrants brought
the U.S. government au- to the U.S. illegally as chil-
thority to spy on the elec- dren is threatening about
tronic communications of 800,000. Many have known
foreigners located outside no other country except
the United States, yielding the U.S. Trump has given
intelligence that helps pre- Congress until March to
vent terrorist plots, cyberat- come up with a solution,
tacks and other threats. Pri- but negotiations on the
vacy advocates, including politically sensitive issue
libertarian conservatives haven’t produced results
such as Sen. Rand Paul, yet. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.,
R-Ky., say information from says he’s been promised a
Americans communicating vote on it next month, and
with these foreign targets both sides want a solution,
is also being incidentally but the recent history of bi-
swept up and needs to be partisan efforts on immigra-
protected. tions isn’t encouraging.

DELAYED UNTIL JANUARY STILL UNCLEAR
Budget deal. Both sides Disaster aid. Lawmakers
say they want a deal to from hurricane-slammed
scrap spending caps that states such as Texas and
limit money for both the Florida and the territory of
military and domestic pro- Puerto Rico are pressing
grams. Talks to increase for more than $80 billion
these caps have proceed- for rebuilding efforts. But
ed behind the scenes, but many Democrats consider
no agreement has been that amount of funding in-
reached. GOP defense sufficient for Puerto Rico,
hawks are becoming anx- while conservatives in the
ious, and negotiations will House are blanching at
resume next year. A deal the price tag. The disaster
is a prerequisite for smooth aid, which also includes
completion of the more money for states hard hit
than $1.1 trillion budget for by wildfires.q