What do comprehensive health care reform, infrastructure and immigration have in common?
"All these issues are important to my constituents. They’re important to you. They’re important to your neighbors. But they will not be addressed in the approximately four months and a few days left in this session of Congress," Oklahoma U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas said at a Tulsa Regional Chamber forum.
Lucas said there’s no consensus in Congress to tackle health care or immigration, and too little state and local money for a massive infrastructure plan that would lean on those funding sources.
Lucas does believe a conflict between the U.S. House and Senate over work requirements for food aid will be resolved in time to get a new Farm Bill passed this year.
Lucas doesn’t expect the House will get its way, which requires adults up to 59 years old to work 20 hours per week to qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, but he said something should be done.
"If the unemployment rate’s 3.9 percent, if the Federal Reserve banks are implying we’re at full employment and we’re still spending 75 percent of the Farm Bill on food aid, there’s some underlying issues here we need to address," Lucas said.
The House proposal could also make it easier for people to lose SNAP benefits and harder for them to requalify. Hunger Free Oklahoma has estimated 97,000 Oklahomans could be subject to the tougher requirements.
Lucas also said the federal government will be mostly funded soon. Lucas estimated 60 to 70 percent of the federal budget should be in place before the new federal fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
"And the rest will be CR’d, a continuing resolution at present levels until after Election Day. Most of those bills deal with social issues or policy issues that need guidance from the voters, and that will come the first Tuesday in November," Lucas said.
Lucas also had a feeling President Donald Trump's second U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, will be confirmed before the current session of Congress wraps up just over four months from now.
