The Spending Bill:

 The House of Representatives passed a spending bill, on a vote of 206 to 219.  At the time Tribal Conferences were being held in Las Vegas, the week of Dec. 9, the bill was in the Senate awaiting vote.  The Senate, since has passed the spending bill just a few hours before midnight on Saturday Dec. 13, 2014 and avoided a Government Shutdown.  The vote was 56 to 40 assuring the government would remain funded until September 15, 2015.

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Mass. objected to the roll back of Wall Street reforms that would allow for risky investments that could again lead to bail outs of the banks. Another poison pill objected to by Democrats was the increase in election campaign contributions jumping from 90 million to over 300,000 million in allowable soft money.  But the bill was considered a compromise for both parties, and the President will receive full spending on all but one agency, Homeland Security, to postpone the immigration debate until February.

 The bottom line, the liberal wing of the Democratic Party and the conservative wing of the Republican Party were disappointed.  The result however, is the President did receive extra funding for Ebola research and to fight ISIS, and full funding of agencies that are implementing the Affordable Care Act.

In the House, a sharper turn to the right, House leaders will have to navigate a larger GOP caucus ripe with fresh hard-liners ready to oppose them.  The vote count, Reps control a bigger majority with 244 and the Dems 184 and 7 are not yet called.

 On the issues, Speaker Boehner has complained about the conservatives in his caucus as “knuckleheads” but has expressed confidence to keep his caucus together.  He has said that tax reform and a big Highway bill are doable.   He has put fixing the tax code as a priority to improve the economy, although most say big reform is too ambitious for a divided republican caucus.

 The House will push for their jobs bills that died in the Senate and for the keystone pipeline.  And they will fight for repeal of the medial device tax in Obama Care.  And it is predicted that more stalemate will occur on the budget and debt ceiling issues that will come up in the new congress.   A budget resolution is due in March or April, but it is likely to see continuing resolutions and there will be intense debates on the debt ceiling to increase government borrowing.   It is predicted that Republican leadership will continue to struggle to get consensus as some try to force cuts to shut down immigration reform or Obama Care Programs.

 In the Senate with a new majority and Mitch McConnell in charge the President and the Democratic Caucus will feel payback.  Republicans have said they are going after health care, financial services, and EPA.  So the chances of a grand bargain on the Tax Code are slim and soon there will be political maneuvering of the 2016 Presidential Contest.  They predict a narrow window next year to get things done.

 On Committee’s:  In the House, retirements, term limits and election results yield new dynamics.  On Transportation, Shuster remains as Chair, and looks like for Dems because Rahall from West Va lost, that Peter Defazio will be ranking from Oregon.  Natural Resources with departure of Doc Hasting , Bob Bishp of Utah will be Chair.  Hanabusa lost her fight for Senate so not sure as of yet the ranking member of Resources.

 On Ways and Means, Paul Ryan is taking over for Camp.  Ryan did support this fall Camp’s proposal for funneling in the one-time windfall from over hauling corporate taxes into infrastructure.   The administration has called this transitional funding for Transportation falling out of Tax reform.  On Agriculture, Conway of Texas replaces Lucas as Chairman.  Appropriations Rogers of Kentucky remains as Chair, and Lowry of NY as ranking member.  Budget is Price as Chairman. On Energy, Upton is Chair and Pallone won the fight over Democrat Eshoo for ranking member who was favored by Pelosi.

 In the Senate the new majority means a real changing of the guard is occurring.  On Commerce Science and Transportation John Thune of SD replacing Jay Rockefeller as Chair.  Senator Boxer is senior and is likely to hold ranking member.  On Environmental and Public Works that decides the tribal transportation formula, Senator Inhofe of Oklahoma will Chair.   And Senator Bill Nelson the Ranking member on Commerce.

On Energy Murkowski of Alaska will chair with Maria Cantwell as Ranking.  On Finance, Senator Orin Hatch will Chair, Appropriations Thad Cochran will Chair, and Milkulski of MD is ranking.  On Armed Service McCain will Chair and Reed of RI will be ranking.  On Budget Senator Enzi of Wyoming, and on Banking Senator Shelby of Alabama will Chair.  Senator Barrasso will Chair the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.  It is still very dynamic and not all Chairmanships have been announced.

 What will happen with Transportation and the re-authorization bill and trust fund, and the now May 15th deadline?

 Chairman Shuster has vowed not to do short term funding and has proposed a six year measure.  Paul Ryan has proposed funding through the Tax Code.  And the administration has also said that through Tax reforms what they refer to as Transitional funding would allow for increases in the Highway Trust fund.  But the reforms to the Tax code are not likely to look the same from opposing parties.

 Recently at a Department of Transportation listening session the Deputy Secretary commented that he believes a compromise would be possible and that funding could be increased by a onetime infusion of 150 billion as part of the Grow American Act introduced by the President. Right now the Highway Trust Fund is short by 167 Billion.  So there is a scramble to find new funding.

The Grow America Act introduced by the Administration, is a 4 year authorization of Transportation, both sides want an authorization bill that is longer term.   And Speaker Boehner has said that he believes a big Highway Bill is doable in the new congress.  But can they meet the May deadline and whether it is possible to get a tax code revision in time to add money into the Highway Trust fund is the question.

The president’s proposal is funded by supplementing current revenue with $150 billion in one time infusion of  ‘Transition’ revenue.  So from addressing the 1 to 2 trillion of un-taxed foreign earnings that US companies have accumulated overseas and from reforming accumulated depreciation–this one time savings from a transition to new business tax system could help pay for the proposed transportation budget.

 Paul Ryan has also expressed support for the former Ways and Means Chairman Camp’s proposed windfall from tax reform for infrastructure funding.  Thus it appears that there is the political will from both the Republicans and the White House to use tax reform to pour money into infrastructure.

 The bottom-line: Both parties will have to work together to get major measures through congress, but there does appear to be political will on both sides to pass a longer term authorization bill and to find new funding for the Highway Trust Fund through tax reform.

 Read The Year According to Rep. Tom Cole