James T. Brett
Updated: November 25, 2024
Opinion
Viewpoint: Priorities for the lame duck Congress
By James T. Brett
After a long and brutally divisive election season, Congress now returns to Capitol Hill for the final weeks of the 118th Congress, often referred to as the lame duck session. After an historically unproductive two years, the to-do list remains long. A looming Dec. 20 deadline to pass legislation to continue to fund the government presents an opportunity to incorporate a variety of other pieces of legislation.
Extending telehealth flexibilities – Congress recognized the critical role of telehealth in healthcare delivery by expanding coverage during and after COVID-19. Most recently, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 extended several Medicare telehealth flexibilities through Dec. 31, 2024. Among these was a provision allowing patients to use telehealth regardless of where they are located. These short-term extensions have been important to expand access and ensure continuity of care. We know that telehealth has been particularly beneficial in ensuring access to much-needed behavioral health services, and has enabled patients in rural and underserved areas to receive quality healthcare services. However without Congressional action, these flexibilities will expire at year’s end.
Affordable Connectivity Program – Established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in late 2021, the Affordable Connectivity Program ensures all Americans have access to high-speed internet, which has become vital to economic success in the 21st century. Administered by the Federal Communications Commission, the ACP provided a monthly subsidy of $30 for eligible households to use for broadband internet. Since its launch in December 2021, the ACP helped more than 23 million American households gain access to affordable broadband, including over 367,000 here in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, funding for the program ran out in April 2024. Bipartisan legislation has been introduced to infuse another $7 billion into the program.
eDelivery – A third top priority is passage of legislation to make electronic delivery of financial statements and disclosures the default method of delivery to investors. Bipartisan legislation – introduced by Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) – passed the House earlier this year as part of a larger capital markets package, but it has languished in the Senate. Not only is eDelivery more environmentally friendly as it decreases paper usage and waste, but it is also a much more secure and efficient method for delivering sensitive financial information to investors.
All three of these proposals represent common sense solutions and have strong bipartisan support. The New England Council will continue to urge our leaders in Washington, D.C. to consider these proposals as key deadlines to advance legislation fast approaches.
James T. Brett is the president & CEO of The New England Council, an alliance of businesses dedicated to supporting economic growth and quality of life.
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