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Debt Concerns Could Affect State Aid

Concerns over the mounting national debt could hamper efforts in Congress to provide aid to cash-strapped states.

As Congress debates a pair of spending bills that total more than $250 billion, legislators' concerns about adding to the national debt may threaten to dilute aid to states, according to the Washington Post.

The larger of the two bills, according to the Post, "would extend a variety of expired tax cuts, unemployment benefits and aid to cash-strapped state governments while preventing a big pay cut from taking effect at the end of the month for doctors who see Medicare patients."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has vowed to bring the legislation to a vote before Memorial Day. So states should know soon either way.

Zach Patton -- Executive Editor. Zach joined GOVERNING as a staff writer in 2004. He received the 2011 Jesse H. Neal Award for Outstanding Journalism
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