Will take place. Of course, all of this is happening as a result of the current house speaker, john boehner, announcing last friday that hell be resigning at the end of october. This meeting by the House Rules Committee expected to get under way shortly. Theyll consider the rules for debate on a bill that would gave states flexibility in denying funds under medicaid to planned parenthood or other groups that provide Abortion Services. That bill coming to the house floor tomorrow. The legislative agenda in the house today includes a couple of bills that make changes to the 2010 health care law, religious measures, other would revise the definition of small employer to having 50 or less employees. Votes in the house are scheduled for 6 30. We have that live on cspan. Senates in session today. Considering a temporary spending bill that would fund the government beyond september 30th. Senators will be voting on whether to advance that bill in about a half hour at 5 30. 60 votes are required for the bill to move forward. And as we wait for this rules committee meeting, lets show you some debate over government funding from this morning. Washington journal. First guest, paul singer, usa today, washington correspondent. Good morning. Good morning. Whats the likelihood the government will be shut down by the end of the week . Pretty low, i believe, at this point. It seems that particularly with the departure of mr. Boehner on friday, the pressure has sort of relieved for the shutdown vote. We anticipate a vote in the senate today to move that process forward, to fund the government. We expect a vote in the house probably by wednesday and this thing, we believe, we believe, we believe, that by wednesday evening they will come up with a short term solution. This is what we call a clean continuing resolution. What that means, just extending the current budget through december 11th, with no policy changes. Importantly, not including the language that conservatives were looking for to defund planned parenthood. That was the Sticking Point to this point. Looks like theyre going to try a different approach to that problem and just fund the government to december, while they figure out what to do then. Senate side, what happens to folks like ted cruz who have said they would rise up in opposition and senator and rand paul. Rand paul, yeah. That is likelihood set to happen or things put in place to keep that from happening . Votes are Going Forward to move forward with a clean bill, because rand paul and ted cruz dont have enough votes to force that issue on to the floor. The senate, of course, operates in this weird world, minority senators can complain a lot but at some point you have to get 60 votes to support you sorry, 60 votes to decide to move the bill to the floor. If they cant get votes to move the bill to the floor, then it just dies. It looks like thats whats happening in the senate at this point. You said short term than brings us to december. What happens in december . I cancel Holiday Travel plans, i recommend you do the same. We really dont know. In december, were going to face a number of things at once. Government funding will be again expiring so theyll need to figure out what to do. The second problem that is we will at that point hit the debt ceiling and theyll have to figure out whether or not to raise the debt ceiling yet again. This becomes one of those issues where, for conservatives, this a fundamental argument about going into more debt and youll hear the whole argument how we are mortgaging our future to china and yet, the democrats argue frequently, and usually with success recently, that you cant default on old promissory notes by failing to take the debt and spend the money. So that will be a december battle. We have a highway bill funding that has to come up some time between now and then. Would not be surprised to see that roll into the same pile in december. So, theres a whole bunch of stuff that is going to have to be hammered out over the next few months and keep in mind, we dont know who the speaker is going to be and who the rest of the Republican Leaders are going to be some theyre going to spend significant quality time arguing over that first, before they even get to the substantive issues. As far as they come to december, a possibility they pass another shortterm extension if they wanted to. Sure, sure. Yeah. The way congress operates, theyre best when they are kicking things down the road until later, they could certainly punt on a funding bill for another week, another two week, another three weeks. My recollection is that last year, it was middle of january before they finally got the bill passed. They can do whatever they want to do. The debt ceiling is a bigger issue. They have less flexibility there. The Treasury Department always has some emergency tool at their disposal to try to stretch this deadline out you look good in burn orange. Jan you look awesome in your red blazer. With a nice color. That is a nice color. The rules committee will consider hr 3495 womens Public Health and safety ability, bills based upon the basic principles i believe of federalism under this bill, a state would be granted the discretion to with hold medicaid funds from a clinic or doctor that provides Abortion Services. Pretty trait forward. Hr 3495 represents a continuation of efforts to pass meaningful legislation that prioritizes opportunities that represent values and sanctity of human life, which we believe is important and we heard from the pope last week how important all life is. This gives an opportunity for states to use federal funds accordingly. With us today, the gentlewoman from tennessee, marcia blackburn, Energy Commerce commit were. Joining her, her colleague Jan Schakowsky in red. We are orange and red today. Before we are both witnesses to come forward to give testimony id like to defer to my dear friend, gentleman from massachusetts, hed like to make i welcome you both here today. I want to state for the record that the law in this country is that no federal funds can be used for abortion and i just want to remind my republican colleagues that we are only days away from another Government Shutdown. And the last Government Shutdown that my friends thrust upon the nation caused the american taxpayers 24 billion. So i have a hard time believing that preventing medicaid patients from seeing their doctors is the best use of our time. But youre in charge. You run the show. I look forward to the testimony. Thank you very much. I thank you very much. Id like to just briefly address the issue that the gentleman brought up, its a good point, and that is we are very concerned and recognize the constitutionality of what were trying to do as well as the calendar. We are waiting at this time the United States senate, who is gaining their momentum to decide the piece of legislation. And you will find that well be asked to come back to the rules committee some time as quickly as the United States senate does their work, they had been working on these issues diligently, holding vote, having discussions, working with each other. Were trying to do the same over here. And i do appreciate the gentleman, i know he and i will be on the floor, mrs. Slaughter, judge hastings, talking about the importance of ensuring that this government and the continuity of funding streams continues. You have my highest of commitment from, i believe, the rules committee side, knowing that we will, as quickly as we can, be calling a hearing, we will not delay at all work that needs to be done and get it to the floor so this pod q. Can act accordingly. I appreciate the gentlemen. I appreciate the gentlemens reassurance but, as recent history has taught us, just because the rules Committee Considers something and even reports on a rule doesnt mean that the republican conference accepts it. We have found ourselves in a on a number of occasions coming back to rules committee with trying to manage a crisis. I hope we can keep the government open but i think thats what our priorities should be. Again, beating up on poor women is not my idea of a constructive use of our time. I yield back my time. I thank you very much. I appreciate the gentlemen very much. Ladies, please, if youll feel free to come to the witness table. Both of you are no strangers to the rules committee, to your friends that count on you not only being here and giving us Expert Witness testimony, but also the graciousness that you bring representing yourself, your district, your party, and your ideas. And as mrs. Blackburn knows, mrs. Schakowsky, youve been up here plenty of times we try to deal with difficult subjects in a polite way. You will be afforded that also. And mrs. Blackburn, represents thoughts and ideas i agree with, but even when i dont agree, you will be given the assurances that youll be dealt with fairly up here. I want to thank both of you for being here. Without objection, anything in writing will be entered into the record. We encourage you, we have an awesome stenographer, give her whatever you want and encourage also to speak into the microphone with that green light on when youre give than time. The gentle woman from tennessee, wife of mr. Chuck blackburn, my dear friend, is recognized. Thank you, mr. Chairman. And i appreciate the opportunity to come before you on hr 3495. This is the womens Public Health and safety ability. Its a bill that mr. Duffy authored and brought to us at energy and Commerce Committee. We have, as you see before you, an amendment that will become the bill. As you appropriately stated, this is a bill about flexibility and about giving the state more flexibility as to who they choose to include in their Medicaid Program, Health Care Providers. And they may want to have people who do not perform or participapar participate in the performance of elective abortions. We have some states who sought to end medicaid contracts and theyve been blocked from doing so by cms. Currently, we have four states in litigation, louisiana, arkansas, alabama, utah, are in litigation over these very issues. So this is a step that we can take that says, lets give the states the flexibility that they are requesting and that they need. They have proven that they need the flexibility and lets allow them to make these make these decisions. And with that, i will yield back. Thank you very much. Miss schakowsky welcome. The gentlewoman is recognized. Thank you so much for allowing me to testify, once again. I am testifying in opposition to 3495. Here we go again. To consider legislation that is purported to protect women but the truth is that this bill is yet another attack on Womens Health and their ability to make their own choices. The misleading name,womens Public Health and safety act, seeks to target and exclude abortion providers or anyone who will even remotely support or is involved with a provider or entity that provides abortions from participating in medicaid even though not a single federal dime is spent on providing that abortion. In fact, ive been calling this legislation yet another radical assault on Womens Health care. This bill would permit a state to terminate a provider from medicaid solely on the basis that the provider also provides access to a safe and legal abortion without federal dollars, without regard for impact on access to care and leaving no recourse for that provider. Excludeing a provider from medicaid solely on the basis that the provider also provides access to safe and legal abortions would be bad enough, but the legislation doesnt stop there. This legislation would allow a state to terminate a provider from medicaid if that provider has had any sort of, quote, participation, unquote with an abortion. What constitutes participation on the part of an entity is completely undefined. Lets be clear, the blackburn amendment does not change hr 3495 underlying purpose, intent, or its devastating impact. The blackburn amendment gives states the ability, to, quote, establish criteria, unquote for determining if a provider, quote, performs or participates in the perform of unquote abortions would be allowed in the Medicaid Program. This broad language would give states an Unchecked Authority to exclude any provider the state defines as participating without any consideration to the health needs and concerns of its medicaid enrollees. Some examples of how this how far this criteria could go, a state could exclude a hospital for offering life saving care as required under the federal emergency medical treatment or mtola law. If a state determines care was provided went there was not an immediate threat to the womans life but instead a Serious Health care threat or entire Hospital Systems could be excluded because many hospitals provide Abortion Services. This would not only mean medicaid patients could losing asa s access to their choice of medical providers for all of their Health Care Services but particularly harmful in rural areas, where there are fewer hospitals to serve communities. This bill allows the government unprecedented involvement in a womans own personal health care decisions, right down to who she chooses as her provider. Thats why historically federal medicaid rules have always regardless of which party is in power provided the right of medicaid beneficiaries to seek care from a trusted and medically qualified provider of their choosing. This bill is one more assault in the long list of republican assaults on Womens Health. We know that if this legislation had been enacted in the past month when Governor Jindal tried to kick planned parenthood out of medicaid, there would have been only 29 providers left across the state to serve more than 5,000 additional patients. Louisiana is not a unique case. In twothirds of the 491 counties in which they are located, planned Parenthood Health centers serve at least half of all women obtaining contraceptive care from safety net Health Centers. Onefifth of the counties in which they are located, planned parenthood sites are the sole safety net Family Planning center. The medicaid statutory provider choice protections are there for a reason. That language protects against the ideological and political whims of politicians at the expense of women. The claim that this legislation seeks to protect women could not be further from the truth. This is yet another attempt for republicans to erode the fundamental constitutionally protected right for safe and legal abortion, this legislation which would undermine the right of a woman to choose her own provider or the right of a provider to support or provide safe action to legal abortion a yield back. Thank you very much. This is an issue back home for me also. And i have, im sure every one of our members, whether from new york, whether from dallas, texas, have strong opinions. I believe state legislatures know a lot about this issue. They know a lot, for instance i learned other day theres no planned Parenthood Organization in the country that has a mammogram available to it. I thought that was Womens Health care. So we have isolated it down, and miss schakowsky i believe you appropriately said it this business Abortion Services. I believe the stated could be given latitude therein. I respect you being here. Miss blackburn, i thank you for being the bill. Id like to say thank you to both you the gentle woman from North Carolina. Thank you mr. Chairman. In the interest of time i will say that i will associate myself with your remarks on why were here today and the concerns that the people in our districts have on this issue. It is the number one issue i hear from everyone in my district and i think we are doing the right thing with this legislation. I thank mr. Duffy for inducing it and miss blackburn for bringing it here. I respect our colleague, miss schakowsky, but totally disagree with her. I yield back. Gentlewoman yields back the time. Mrs. Slaughters recognized. Thank you, mr. Chair. Appreciate that. I know we all know very well why were here, trying to get enough votes to pass the cr. If we throw out something extraneous like this may assuage people somewhere but im not getting any great slclamor and never had about this. Im not sure about the mammogram issue. I know planned parenthood does a lot of cancer screening. I ask unanimous consent to put this statement without objection. Let me read it. Administration strongly opposes house passage of hr 3495, because it would restrict Womens Health and reproductive choices. Hr 3495 would permit a state Medicaid Program to stop paying for any covered benefits providing to eligible individuals by qualified Health Care Providers solely because providers were involved in abortions. Longstanding federal policy which we already know, already prohibits use of federal funds for abortions. Except in cases of rape or incest or when the life of the mother would be woman would be endangered. By permitting withholding of federal medicaid funding for those providers, clinics or hospitals, hr 3495 likely would limit access to both critical Womens Health services and health care throughout local communities across the nation. And would have a disproportionate impact on women and low income individuals. Moreover, it would undermine a womans right upheld by the Supreme Court to make her own choices