White House Rescinds Funding Freeze Memo, Says Effort Will Continue
On January 29, the January 27 memo from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget directing all federal departments and agencies to freeze a wide swath of federal funding was rescinded. The action follows the late January 28 temporary freeze on the directive by a federal judge. Later January 29, the administration indicated its pulling back of the January 27 memo “is NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze” and that the president’s executive orders on federal funding “remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented.”
The reference is to January 20-24 Executive Orders issued to, as the January 27 funding freeze memo noted, “protect the American people and safeguard valuable taxpayer resources.” These Executive Orders are ones on Protecting the American People Against Invasion, Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid, Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements, Unleashing American Energy, Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government, and Enforcing the Hyde Amendment.
This is clearly a fast-moving, dynamic situation that LeadingAge expects will continue to evolve. You are encouraged to join LeadingAge on their next National Policy Pulse call. This weekly, members-only event is a great way to keep current on fast-changing news from Washington D.C. Keep up with news on the federal funding freeze in this serial post.
Nomination for HHS Secretary Advances to Full Senate
The Senate Finance Committee on February 4 voted to recommend Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. The committee voted 14-13, along party lines, to favorably report Mr. Kennedy’s nomination to the full Senate.
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a physician who expressed concerns over Mr. Kennedy’s vaccine skepticism during his confirmation hearings, cast the deciding vote to advance the nomination after what Sen. Cassidy called “intense conversations” with Mr. Kennedy and the White House over the weekend. The full Senate will schedule a vote to confirm Mr. Kennedy in the near future.
OSHA Withdraws Infectious Diseases Proposed Rule
A review of information from the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs within the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) shows the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has walked back a proposed rule relating to infectious diseases.
Under the proposal at issue, OSHA is examining regulatory alternatives for control measures to protect employees from infectious disease exposures to pathogens that can cause significant disease including TB, SARS, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, COVID-19.
LeadingAge had been tracking the development of this proposed rule. OMB had completed its review of the proposal in January 14, but following President Trump’s taking office, the White House issued a directive to freeze new regulations until further review can occur, and OMB now shows this rule as having been withdrawn. OSHA also has withdrawn a rule that would have made permanent certain regulatory requirements concerning exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace, which the agency first established in June 2021 as a six-month emergency temporary standard. A final COVID-specific rule had been pending at OMB since December 2022. LeadingAge will monitor for further developments on these issues.
Weekly Recaps: February 5, 2025
Affordable Housing Weekly Recap. Here is your weekly Affordable Housing Weekly Recap.
Home Health Weekly Recap. Here is your weekly Home Health Weekly Recap.
Hospice Weekly Recap. Here is your weekly Hospice Weekly Recap.
Life Plan Community Weekly Recap. Here is your weekly LPC Weekly Recap.
Medicaid, HCBS, and PACE Weekly Recap. Here is your weekly Medicaid, HCBS, and PACE Weekly Recap.
Nursing Home Weekly Recap. Here is your Nursing Home Weekly Recap.
