What’s the story?
- Lawmakers are set to return to the Capitol next week to start their 2022 work period and have several significant items on their to-do list before the midterm elections arrive and the 117th Congress draws to a close after the end of the year. Here’s a look at some legislative storylines to follow when your lawmakers get back to work in the new year:
Build Back Better Rebuilt?
- The centerpiece of Democrats’ legislative agenda in the 117th Congress, the future of the multi-trillion-dollar social spending plan is in doubt amid opposition by moderate Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and potentially other centrist Democrats.
- Manchin has expressed concern with the impact of increased spending on inflation, which reached a 39-year high in November. He has also taken issue with the use of “budget gimmicks” like sunsetting programs after a few years to keep the bill’s cost estimate lower even though there will be an effort to extend those programs at a much higher cost. Other issues between moderates and progressives include the size of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, corporate tax rates, and more.
- The Biden administration and Democratic leadership in Congress may seek to rework the package further to reach an agreement with Manchin. But for the Build Back Better Act to clear both chambers, Democrats need the support of all 50 of their senators and can lose the support of no more than three members in the House, so there is very little margin for error with either the moderate or progressive wings of their party.
- Progressives had been hopeful that the Senate parliamentarian would permit Democrats to include immigration reform provisions in the Build Back Better Act, but it was determined that their latest proposal violated the Senate’s rules regarding what can be included in budget reconciliation bills. Some House Democrats had insisted they would only vote for the package if it included immigration reform, so they may face a difficult decision if they’re unable to find a way to address that issue while complying with reconciliation rules.
Annual Appropriations
- Congress has yet to enact the annual appropriations bills that provide discretionary funding to federal agencies for the full fiscal year 2022, so lawmakers face a deadline of February 18th to either do so or enact another temporary stopgap bill to avert a shutdown.
- Democrats have hoped that their majorities in both chambers plus President Joe Biden occupying the White House would allow them to enact discretionary higher spending levels. However, appropriations bills need 60 votes in the Senate to overcome the legislative filibuster, which means spending levels will need to be negotiated on a bipartisan basis with Republicans.
- If Democrats and Republicans are unable to meet in the middle on spending levels, Congress will have to resort to more short-term continuing resolutions to extend federal appropriations at previously-enacted levels, or else the government will experience a lapse and a partial government shutdown will ensue.
Filibuster Flashpoints
- Democrats’ partisan policy priorities have largely been stymied in the Senate because of the chamber’s legislative filibuster, which requires 60 votes to limit debate and allow a bill to pass with a simple majority. The chamber is evenly-divided with 50 senators in both the Democratic caucus and the Republican conference, so 10 GOP senators have the power to allow most of Democrats’ legislative proposals to move forward or to block them.
- With the Senate’s makeup unlikely to change in the current Congress, some Democrats have urged for the “nuclear option” to be deployed to eliminate the legislative filibuster despite their past support and use of the filibuster.
- Several of the Democrats’ bills that cleared the House on party-line votes have failed to overcome the filibuster, including legislation to make it easier for employees to sue their legislation to make it easier for employees to sue employers for gender-based wage discrimination and multiple versions of election reform.
- It’s likely that there will be votes on more of Democrats’ bills that fail to overcome the filibuster in 2022, which will intensify calls for the filibuster to be eliminated despite the opposition of moderates like Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), who vowed to preserve the 60-vote threshold despite pressure from within their party.
— Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: iStock.com / Wil Etheredge)
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ClydeK: The spread of willful disinformation and mal-information is the main reason why it is impossible for people to have rational conversations about the issues of the day. You cannot come to an agreement on anything if you cannot agree on the facts. ‘Alternate’ facts, that are promoted by propaganda outlets for profit, are seemingly plausible and support an individual’s pre-conceived biases - but they are not facts. ….… … You cannot come to a common resolution if one side is working with ‘alternate’ or cherry-picked facts. Different people are entitled to different opinions resulting from the same set of facts. With a common set of facts there can be meaningful debate and a common resolution. … … … No-one is entitled to their chosen set of ‘alternate’ facts - and until we can find a way to squelch the for-profit entertainment news peddling of intentional disinformation and ‘alternate’ facts for profit, there will be no good way for people who choose to believe in an ‘alternate’ reality to come to a common understanding with those who do not.
Right on, jimK! Keep ‘em coming... 😊❤️😊❤️
Lets ask this question when the VOTNG RIGHTS HAS PASSED.
We need to return spending to be within budgetary limits in order to reduce inflationary pressure. Deficit spending is exacerbating inflation. The Congressional agenda needs to reflect the state of the economy.
BBB going down in progressive flames was the best Christmas present from liberals a conservative could get. I wonder how many MSM articles will be written about the great progressive victories in doing what was promised. You can’t make this stuff up as good as reality is.
Nothing + nothing = nothing
Until the filibuster is abolished nothing be accomplished. Also harboring extremely unkind thoughts about Manchin, the hit man of social spending and justice. May he rot in Hell.
Good one, Mr. Geer! 😊❤️😊
Let that, Build Back Better, Green New Deal die the death it deserves. We actually cannot afford another round of giveaways that are causing massive inflation so this round of political payoffs needs to be cancelled and tragically all the promised payoffs cancelled as well. Fact is the hype of COVID is a disgrace to our Constitution and only more so by the dictatorial responses from our government crooks where ever they exist and those people need to be removed and will only hope the voters do in mass.
They have never done anything for Black or POC.
TERM LIMITS!
The American economy is the strongest it’s been in decades, with the U.S. leading the world in economic growth…so why on earth do 54% of Americans disapprove of Biden’s handling of the economy (according to a CNN/SSRS poll released yesterday)? That disapproval comes partly from inflation, which in November was at 6.8%, the highest in 39 years, but inflation is high around the world as we adjust to post-pandemic reopening. Gas prices, which created an outcry a few weeks ago, have come down significantly. Patrick De Haan, an oil and refined products analyst at GasBuddy, an app to find cheap gas prices, tweeted today that average gas prices have fallen under $3 a gallon in 12 states and that in 36 U.S. cities, prices have fallen by more than $0.25 a gallon in the past 30 days. Falling prices reflect skyrocketing gasoline inventories. Respondents also said they were upset by disruptions in the supply chain. But in fact, the much-hyped fear that supply chain crunches would keep packages from being delivered on time for the holidays has proved to be misguided: 99% of packages are arriving on time. This is a significant! So Anarchist Hawley, McConnells lapdog Blunt, and Sam Graves- let’s consider being progressive and continuing to support workers and our country rather than being regressive and thinking of yourselves.
Slow-moving train wreck.
Pathetic...I won't list all the trump era laws Biden is still using, or all the broken promises he made to voters, only to quickly back off once he took office. As a leftist, we are often blamed by centrist dems for their losses- but it is due to the inability to govern. We need housing and healthcare for all- an end to the drug war, and the endless arms race....but we get crumbs, Democrats need to be the party of the people, of step aside for a new real leftist party made up of working people, not the ''political class'' or the wealthy.
Start working together for the country.
I have absolutely no faith in the U.S. Congress. They are too divided for their own personal gain and have no concept of what is best for the common good much less what their constituents desire. It's all about them and their big money donors getting all the benefits and to hell with the rest of us. If you really concentrate on letters you receive from your senators and representatives, you will see all the repetition and programed ideals being submitted to convince you they are working for you. Don't you believe it for one minute. It is all "spin" to make you think a certain way so they can continue to "pull the wool over our eyes" and do as their preferred party demands. It sucks! But it is the truth. Sadly, the day will never come when political parties are outlawed for good so we the people can have a real say in our governing. May whatever "God" you look to for guidance, have mercy on our country.
I am sick to death of the Republicans who do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but collect an undeserved paycheck. They have done nothing for decades but complain. When they had the chance in 2016 to do some good for the country, all they tried to do was take away health care and give tax breaks to the wealthy. The Republicans are standing in the way of our country making any progress as long as they are simply kissing the butt of the big orange liar/criminal. Granger, Cruz, and Cornyn all need to be gotten rid of. In general, the Democrats have the best interest of the American people at heart and deserve to have their programs debated and passed. Republicans just need to get out of the way if all they are going to do is sit on their asses.
The chances of removing the filibuster in order to enact electoral protections are slim. Saving democracy must be priority #1. All else depends on it. Slipping into a fascist autocracy will result in the U.S. becoming a failed state - at least until democracy can be restored.
If the first few days of the year are indicative of the Democrats messaging system, God help this country.
Democrats’ partisan policy priorities have largely been stymied in the Senate because of the chamber’s legislative filibuster, which requires 60 votes to limit debate and allow a bill to pass with a simple majority. The chamber is evenly-divided with 50 senators in both the Democratic caucus and the Republican conference. This is a hell'ava box we find ourselves in. I say use the nulear option ..