Congress Faces Packed Agenda Before Year's End

Henrietta Treyz, Co-Founder at Veda Partners, discusses the long list Congress has to tackle before the end of the year and expectations for the Supreme Court's ruling on IEEPA tariffs, which is set for sometime in the coming months.

Tensions are high on Capitol Hill, and days are numbered before lawmakers leave for the holidays, but that isn’t tempering their ambition to get through a lengthy slate of work.

Enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that expire at the end of the year are driving much of the tension, with Republicans in both chambers miles apart on whether to extend them. Rank-and-file House lawmakers have released a slew of bipartisan proposals in a Hail Mary effort to secure an extension, but GOP leaders are digging in against the Covid-era subsidies.

While House and Senate leaders face minor rebellions from their restless members, they’re also sparring with each other. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) said last week that his once-productive relationship with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has “evolved, and not necessarily in a constructive direction.” And lawmakers fear more resignations could be on the horizon after an infuriated Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) announced she’s quitting early.

Lawmakers are eager to head home, and their leaders hope they’ll return in jollier spirits. But two weeks and a packed to-do list stand between them and their vacations. Here’s what to watch:

Crunch Time for NDAA

Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) face a challenging balancing act to get the annual defense authorization bill to the finish line. The massive measure is considered must-pass because it authorizes troop pay and sets military and geo-strategic policy.

The House is slated to vote first on the compromise measure. There, Johnson has to tread carefully with his increasingly restive caucus, in case Democrats decide to go against the bill as they did when the House considered its version earlier this year.

Tensions are high on Capitol Hill, and days are numbered before lawmakers leave for the holidays, but that isn’t tempering their ambition to get through a lengthy slate of work.

Enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that expire at the end of the year are driving much of the tension, with Republicans in both chambers miles apart on whether to extend them. Rank-and-file House lawmakers have released a slew of bipartisan proposals in a Hail Mary effort to secure an extension, but GOP leaders are digging in against the Covid-era subsidies.

While House and Senate leaders face minor rebellions from their restless members, they’re also sparring with each other. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) said last week that his once-productive relationship with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has “evolved, and not necessarily in a constructive direction.” And lawmakers fear more resignations could be on the horizon after an infuriated Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) announced she’s quitting early.

Lawmakers are eager to head home, and their leaders hope they’ll return in jollier spirits. But two weeks and a packed to-do list stand between them and their vacations. Here’s what to watch:

Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) face a challenging balancing act to get the annual defense authorization bill to the finish line. The massive measure is considered must-pass because it authorizes troop pay and sets military and geo-strategic policy.

The House is slated to vote first on the compromise measure. There, Johnson has to tread carefully with his increasingly restive caucus, in case Democrats decide to go against the bill as they did when the House considered its version earlier this year.

Several issues that could have further complicated its passage in the House are out. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) started a revolt over a provision that was initially taken out of the compromise bill, but Johnson acquiesced and restored legislation requiring Congress to be notified if the FBI opens investigations into presidential and federal candidates, buying him some more GOP support.

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