On May 5, 2015, the Senate approved the conference report to accompany S.Con.Res. 11, the concurrent resolution setting forth the federal budget for FY 2016 and establishing budgetary target levels for FYs 2017 through 2025, following earlier House approval. The conference agreement, which was approved on largely party-line votes, includes nonbinding language supporting Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal (including specific reference to repeal of the Medicare Independent Payment Advisory Board and Medicare spending cuts contained in the ACA, as long as the measure is deficit-neutral). The agreement calls for $430 billion in unspecified Medicare savings, as the Senate had proposed, rather than structural reforms included in an earlier House version. While the conference report is intended to guide Congressional budget activities in the coming year and facilitates floor consideration in the Senate, the measure does not actually effect policy changes; any subsequent legislation to implement the instructions would be subject to future Congressional debate (and potential Presidential veto).
