Flood insurance was temporarily extended in the last two stopgap spending measures as the House and Senate negotiate whether to let private insurers compete with the government program in a longer extension. There’s been no sign that this program will be allowed to expire with hurricane-affected states still tackling claims.

Disaster Aid

The $81 billion hurricane and wildfire relief bill has bipartisan support in the House, even though there may not be enough Republicans to pass it without Democratic help. The Senate is expected to revise the disaster package before passing it, redirecting some of the funds.

Children’s Health Insurance

Pressure is mounting on Congress to renew the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which lapsed in October, as states have started sending notices that children from low-income families won’t be covered in January. The House stopgap bill contains a five-year extension paid for, in part, by cutting an Obamacare prevention fund and charging high earners more for Medicare Advantage. Senate Finance Committee top Democrat Ron Wyden said he’s optimistic negotiators will find another way to pay for CHIP this week.

Avoiding Medicare Cuts

McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan promise they won’t allow the tax-cut bill to trigger automatic spending cuts in Medicare. The tax-cut measure also would end Obamacare’s requirement that most Americans buy health insurance or pay a penalty. House Democrats are threatening to vote to allow the Medicare cuts unless Republicans reinstate the Obamacare coverage requirement. Senate Democrats haven’t made that threat, and it’s unclear whether House Democrats would stick to it on the verge of a government shutdown.

Surveillance

A provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, set to lapse Dec. 31, lets the National Security Agency intercept calls or emails from suspected foreign terrorists outside the U.S. Critics say the FBI should be required to get court warrants to search data about Americans collected under the program in most cases. If an agreement on revisions can’t be reached this week, Congress could enact a short-term extension.

Obamacare Payments