It is September 30, 2017. That's the last day of the current fiscal year for the federal government. After this, if a program hasn't received its official funding, it can't keep operating.
That kind of hard deadline is painful if a program has benefited millions. It's also effectively a way to allow something to disappear, which is what Congress has collectively done. Some is by obstructionist design; some, by obsessive interest in obtaining certain legislative goals, like appealing the Affordable Care Act or creating tax cuts for the wealthiest, as a tool for the 2018 elections.
Here are some of the programs that are currently scheduled to stop operations, although the House and Senate could take action in the next few weeks after the deadline, possibly providing retroactive authorization or funding. But even if they do, the situation shows that the poor are generally put last and elected officials seem unable to respond to anything other than a crisis situation.
Children's health insurance
CHIP, the Children's Health Insurance Program, hasn't received funding reauthorization, a first since the program was started in 1997. It has received reauthorization a number of times and currently helps bring healthcare to millions of children. A recent bipartisan bill for reauthorization has been left hanging. Reportedly, some states are preparing to either stop enrollment or end coverage because there will money to cover the costs.
Other healthcare programs
Another program, called Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) grants, helps fund hospitals that treat a large portion of the poor. It's part of Medicaid. Because there has yet to be legislative action to extend the program, $2 billion in aid is scheduled to be cut starting tomorrow. DSH was supposed to be reduced over time under the ACA, based on the assumption that fewer people would be uninsured and that hospitals would provide less care without compensation.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/eriksherman/2017/09/30/congress-lets-programs-for-poor-run-out-starting-tonight/#75ac47b91785
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