What to Watch in the House When the 116th Congress Begins

With the third partial government shutdown of the 115th Congress looking increasingly likely to last into the new Congress, legislation to reopen impacted agencies will be a high priority after the House convenes to start the 116th Congress. Aside from funding those agencies, here’s a look at some other notable agenda items the House will look to address early in 2019.

Oversight: One thing that House Democrats will be able to do without worrying about the GOP-controlled Senate is hold oversight hearings in their committees. Among the items up for investigation by the House committees are alleged collusion by President Donald Trump with Russia, the president’s tax returns, allegations of sexual assault against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and alleged corruption by Trump administration Cabinet officials.

Anti-Corruption Reform: One of House Democrats’ early legislative priorities will be to pass a package of anti-corruption reforms, which they view as a way to rebuke the Trump administration. In the 115th Congress, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) sponsored a sweeping bill to that effect which will likely serve as the basis for the bill considered in the new Congress.

Climate Policy: House Democrats are also eager to take action on legislation to reduce carbon emissions, and could bring up a carbon tax & dividend bill sponsored by Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL). But that enthusiasm isn’t shared on the other side of the Capitol, so if it were to pass the House it’d face strong headwinds in the Senate.

U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA): Once President Donald Trump formally submits the USMCA trade deal to Congress, lawmakers will consider it within a 90-day timeframe under the fast-track trade promotion authority (or TPA). Because tariffs are taxes that generate government revenue, the House generally acts first on trade implementation bills to avoid a “blue slip” issue that violates the Constitution’s Origination Clause.

Rules Package: Easily the wonkiest item on our list, the House is expected to adopt changes to its internal rules that make it easier for bipartisan legislation with at least 290 cosponsors to be brought to the floor and given privileged consideration.

— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr / Creative Commons)