Right of Center Weekly Updates

Federal

• Today, President Trump plans to release his FY26 budget.
  • Why it Matters: Trump’s budget will be the first official indication of how he wants to fund the government, along with his priorities
• House GOP leaders are delaying the Energy and Commerce Committee’s reconciliation bill markup another week as Republicans try to resolve lingering issues over spending cuts to Medicaid. The panel will now likely hold it’s markup the week on May 12.
  • One of the key issues remaining is how far Republicans go to implement a controversial proposal to cap federal Medicaid payments to states.
  • Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), a key moderate, is drawing a red line on Medicaid cuts saying he won’t accept more than $500 billion in reductions to the program
• Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) are introducing their bill to reauthorize and overhaul the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. It’s a priority for LaHood as chair of the House Ways and Means Committee’s Work and Welfare panel.
  • Their bill would make changes to the program including putting new limits on funds and measuring fraudulent payments. Read a summary here.
• The House Bipartisan Paid Family Leave Working Group and its leadership for introducing two pieces of legislation—the Interstate Paid Leave Action Network (I-PLAN) Act and the More Paid Leave to More Americans Act—to expand and improve access to paid leave benefits. More info here.
• 18.9: The number of maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in 2021, according to a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers reported higher mortality rates across nearly every age and racial group.
• Reps. Russell Fry (R-SC) and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) introduced the Comprehensive Health & Integrity in Licensing and Documentation Act (CHILD Act) of 2025. This bill ensures that all individuals with unsupervised access to children, whether full-time employees or independent contractors, are eligible for nationwide background checks. More info here.

State

• Arkansans for Improving Maternal Health released a guide explaining key changes stemming from the The Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act. Read it here.
• The Florida Legislature killed a bill that would have allowed political candidates in the state to pay for babysitters and other child care expenses using money from campaign donors. More info here.
• Florida’s 2025 legislative session is scheduled to end on Friday May 2nd, but it will be extended because lawmakers are still struggling to settle on a state budget, with the biggest sticking point being tax cuts. More info here.
• ​Mississippi has paused new enrollments in its child care assistance program, leaving approximately 10,800 children without future support despite the availability of unspent federal funds. More info here.

Other States

• Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) signed legislation allowing the Maternal Mortality Review Committee to review psychiatric records, creates a Regional Perinatal Center (RPC) advisory committee, and removes the requirement for maternal death inquiries to be done through an RPC.
• South Dakota Governor Lary Rhoden (R) shared that while acknowledging the national child care shortage, it warns against overreliance on government-led or heavily subsidized solutions. More info here.
• The Missouri Legislature has disagreements on funding the Republican Governors child care plan. The Senate supports the Governor’s $107 million plan to reform how childcare subsidies are paid, but the House did not include this funding in its plan. More info here.

Federal

• House and Senate GOP leaders are divided over Medicaid cuts, going in opposite directions on the biggest obstacle to their reconciliation package. Speaker Johnson and House Republican moderates ruled out lowering the federal match rate or instituting per capita caps. Conservative members of the Freedom Caucus are still pushing for strong Medicaid cuts.
  • House Energy and Commerce Members will mark up their reconciliation instructions on Tuesday.
• Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) reintroduced the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed (MOMS) Act, which seeks to expand resources offered by the federal government for expecting and postpartum mothers. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) is leading the House companion bill. More info here.
• House Committee on Ways and Means Reps. David Kustoff (R-TN) and Claudia Tenney (R-NY) introduced the Child Care for American Families Act, which would expand childcare opportunities for working families by building upon the Employer-Provided Childcare Tax Credit. More info here.
• Sens. John Boozman (R-AR) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early (PREEMIE) Reauthorization Act to improve pregnancy outcomes and infant health by continuing research and education programs aimed at preventing preterm births. More info here.

State

• Heartland Forward, a Bentonville-based think-and-do tank, has launched the Maternal and Child Health Center for Policy and Practice, aiming to advance maternal health and improve outcomes for families across the central United States. More info here.
• The Alabama Senate unanimously approved legislation exempting diapers, baby formula, and other baby-related products from the state sales tax. The bill would save taxpayers an estimated $13 million a year. More info here.
• Florida lawmakers missed their budget deadline and will return the week of May 12 to finalize a 2025–2026 spending plan. Disagreements remain over how to allocate funds and what tax cuts to pursue, with House Speaker Perez favoring sales tax cuts and Governor DeSantis pushing for property tax relief.
• In a recap of the Florida session, the Children’s Movement of Florida notched several victories, including SB 738, which updates licensing and safety standards for child care providers; SB 1102, which prioritizes low-income families for school readiness funding; and SB 112, which expands services for children with developmental disabilities. HB 859 also passed to boost early learning tuition assistance, marking steady progress toward ensuring every child in Florida has the care and support they need to thrive. More info here.

Other States

• Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) introduced his legislative proposal for economic development and included up to $12 million in tax credits to build child care facilities. More info here.
• The Montana legislature passed H.B. 924, which would establish the Montana Growth and Opportunity Trust, allocating a portion of funds to a new Montana early childhood state special revenue account.
• The Montana legislature passed H.B. 456, which would make child care workers eligible for child care subsidies if their income is less than twice the state’s median income.

Coming soon…

Coming soon…