A Peek at What Awaits Congress in 2018
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When lawmakers return to the Capitol over the next two weeks, they’ll kickoff what looks likely to be a busy year in Congress — and it won’t be long before they’re asked to cast votes on a host of critical issues.
The first key deadline comes on January 19 when lawmakers will have to pass legislation to fund the government to avert a shutdown. Funding will either come in the form of an omnibus spending deal that funds the government through September — which would require a bipartisan compromise on lifting top-line spending caps — or yet another short-term continuing resolution so Congress can continue negotiating fiscal year 2018 appropriations.
The government’s surveillance authorities under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act also lapse on January 19, so lawmakers will be simultaneously debating the length of the program’s reauthorization along with any potential reforms.
There are several other significant issues that could come up in January. The Senate will need to act on the $81 billion disaster relief package the House passed before concluding its work in 2017, and both chambers of Congress still have to negotiate a reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Another issue that may animate the debate in halls of the Capitol during the first month of 2018 is legislation to address the long-term status of the so-called "Dreamers" who were brought to the country illegally as children. Senate Majority Mitch McConnell (R-KY) promised to hold a vote on such a bill in January if bipartisan negotiators reach a deal that includes border security measures, although Congress does have until March to reach.
President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are expected to roll out their infrastructure plan in January, which could be a key focus of the president’s State of the Union Address on January 30. While action on the legislation will likely come later in the year, the address will also provide an opportunity for the GOP to explain its vision for entitlement reform, which House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) has said will be on the 2018 agenda.
Between entitlement reform and the possibility of another attempt at repealing Obamacare, the process of drafting the FY2019 budget will be closely watched, as it will allow Congress to use the reconciliation process to pass such legislation with a simple majority in the Senate. On a related note, a timeline for considering legislation to provide a longer-term solution for health insurance subsidies in the individual marketplace hasn’t been announced but will be much discussed in the days and weeks to come.
Later in 2018 there will be other policy matters that emerge. At some point in the first half of the year — probably before the end of April — the federal government will exhaust the "extraordinary measures" it uses to fund the government when the country’s debt limit has been reached. That will put the onus on Congress to raise the debt limit, which will put the debt, deficits, and the broader spending debate in the spotlight — all while Congress is working its way through the appropriations process for the 2019 fiscal year.
We’ll have more on all this as it happens, so stay tuned Countable friends.
Are there certain issues you’d like to see Congress take on in 2018? Hit Take Action to tell your reps, then share your thoughts in the comments below.
— Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: peesterv / iStock)
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