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House and Senate Action
The House and Senate both gaveled into session on Monday afternoon, kicking off the last official week of the 118th Congress. Lawmakers have a number of loose ends to tie up in the coming days, but their most pressing issue is funding the government past Friday, which is when the current Continuing Resolution (CR) is slated to expire.
In addition to hammering out the final details of the must-pass stopgap funding package, the lower chamber will continue to consider largely noncontroversial measures on the suspension calendar (including legislation that would designate the bald eagle as the official national bird of the United States). The full House agenda can be accessed here.
Across Capitol Hill, the Senate will focus on final passage of the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5009), which was approved by the full House last week. The bill is expected to easily pass the upper chamber, despite partisan strife over language that prohibits some medical treatments for transgender children on the military’s TRICARE health program. The Senate daily schedule is available here.
Funding Negotiations Stall Over Farm Bill Provisions
Late last week, negotiators appeared close to reaching agreement on a bipartisan, bicameral funding agreement that would keep the government open through early March. Despite the progress, talks stalled this weekend due to an impasse over the 2016 Farm Bill reauthorization.
With insufficient time to pass standalone legislation before the current Farm Bill expires on December 31st, the next CR remains the only viable legislative vehicle for a one-year Farm Bill extension. However, negotiators are at odds over several key provisions. For starters, House Republicans generally object to Democrats’ proposal to draw on funds from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), largely due to the political nature of the IRA and President-elect Trump’s vow to gut the legislation in the next Congress. Second, Republicans have requested $15 billion in direct aid to farmers hit by economic losses, but Democrats have only offered approximately $5.3 billion.
To pass the pending CR before the December 20 deadline, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) will bring the bill to the floor under the suspension calendar. However, such a procedure requires a two-thirds majority, meaning a significant number of Democrats will need to support the bill. Consequently, Democrats are now pushing to include several last-minute legislative priorities, including funding for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore (among other issues). With little time to pass the stopgap funding package, Speaker Johnson will likely need to make some concessions.
Moreover, as the last chance to pass legislation in the 118th Congress, House and Senate leaders are considering adding a spate of riders to the CR. These could include measures to fund expiring health care programs, energy permitting reforms, and provisions to restrict certain investments in China. Additionally, the deal is almost certain to include tens of billions in disaster aid for communities impacted by recent disasters.
Republicans Appear Divided Over Reconciliation Strategy
As the 118th Congress draws to a close, House and Senate Republicans are beginning to formulate their legislative priorities for the 119th Congress, during which they will enjoy the coveted government trifecta. So far, however, Republicans are far from united on their strategy in the new year. As a result, two competing approaches are emerging. The first, championed by incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and President-elect Trump’s top policy adviser, Stephen Miller, involves two separate bills passed under the filibuster-proof budget reconciliation process. The first measure would address Trump’s key domestic priorities (including funding for border security and energy production). The second bill would extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts.
Notably, some Republicans are balking at the prospect of attempting to pass tax cuts later in the year, after key political capital has been spent. This camp, led by House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-MO), favors moving one massive reconciliation package that simultaneously addresses both domestic priorities and tax cuts. With a razor-thin majority in the upcoming Congress, House Speaker Johnson has been careful to straddle both factions, sending mixed signals on which approach he favors.
Child Welfare/Child Support Bill Clears Senate
The Supporting America’s Children and Families Act (H.R. 9076) – a comprehensive package reauthorizing and updating Title IV-B of the Social Security Act (Title IV-B) – has officially cleared the Senate “hotline” process, meaning all 100 senators have agreed to approve the measure by Unanimous Consent. The bipartisan legislation was passed by the House this fall and makes modest improvements to Title IV-B programs, including new resources for child welfare workforce recruitment and retention and additional flexibility to serve families experiencing poverty. Additionally, the package includes the Strengthening State and Tribal Child Support Enforcement Act (H.R. 7906), which will ensure continuity of operations for county child support enforcement agencies by allowing third-party contractors to maintain access to certain taxpayer information. Because the legislation includes deficit savings, Senate leaders plan to attach it to the year-end package. However, if negotiations around its inclusion break down, the chamber will pivot to a Unanimous Consent vote.
Relevant Hearings and Markups
Senate Budget: On Wednesday, the full committee will address the insurance crisis in America with a hearing titled “Next to Fall: The Climate-Driven Insurance Crisis is Here – And Getting Worse.”
Senate Judiciary: On Tuesday, the full committee will hold a hearing on legalized sports gambling title “America’s High-Stakes Bet on Legalized Sports Gambling.”
House Administration: On Wednesday, the full committee will hold a hearing on prohibiting foreign interference in U.S. elections.
Joint Economic Committee: On Wednesday, Democrats on the joint committee will make the case against president-elect Trump’s proposed sweeping tariffs on imported goods with a hearing entitled “Trade Wars & Higher Costs: The Case Against Trump’s Tariffs.”