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DC Download - January 6, 2025

Four years after the deadly January 6 insurrection, Congress has certified the 2024 election results with little fanfare ahead of a light legislative week. We break down the high-stakes issues next up on the new Congress’s to-do list below.

Meanwhile, in the days ahead, Senators are scheduled to begin confirmation hearings for the incoming Administration's new cabinet appointments.

Table of Contents:

No matter what we look like, where we come from, or what’s in our wallets, we all want our families and communities to be safe. Yet, each day, certain politicians stand by as hundreds of Americans - Black and White, young and old, rural and urban - are hurt or killed by guns. We must stand up for each other and work together to invest in community programs that prevent violence, dismantle laws like Stand Your Ground that encourage bias motivated gun violence, and pass common sense reforms like universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons. Together, we can make this a place where we know that we are all safe.

The Progressive Playbook is a one-stop-shop for the best progressive messaging resources from across the movement when you need it most. Our messages are based in progressive values and intended to serve as a living, shared, open resource for progressive partners. Check out our work here.

House Floor

The House will certify Electoral College votes.

This week the House will also consider the following bills, subject to a rule:

H.R. 29- Laken Riley Act (Sponsored by Rep. Collins/Judiciary Committee) This legislation would grant Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) the authority to mandate the detention without bond of any undocumented individual who has been arrested or charged with a property-related crime, such as theft, regardless of whether they are ultimately convicted. The legislation would also allow state attorneys general to sue the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) over alleged mishandling of immigration laws.

H.R. 23 – Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act (Sponsored by Rep. Roy / Foreign Affairs Committee)

This legislation would authorize the sanctioning and revocation of visas for any employee or individual assisting the International Criminal Court (ICC)—an independent international court that investigates and prosecutes war crimes—if they are involved in investigating or prosecuting United States officials or its allies. The bill is ostensibly a response to the ICC’s November warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The Court also issued a warrant for Hamas military chief Muhammad Deif.

House Committee Highlights

There are no hearings or markups this week.

Floor Action

The Senate will certify Electoral College votes.

Nominations

None listed at the time of publication.

Senate Committee Highlights

There are no hearings or markups this week.

House Republican Priorities

In the first 100 days of the president-elect’s term, Republicans aim to pass several legislative priorities, including extending tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations and changes to immigration and border security policies. Speaker-elect Mike Johnson has promised to coordinate with the White House to give border and immigration enforcement agents greater authority and pass stricter laws on immigration, including possibly ending birthright citizenship.

Congress must also tackle two issues on which it's continually kicked the can: the farm bill and the debt limit. While the last farm bill—a comprehensive must-pass package of food and agricultural policy—technically sunset in 2023, Congress has repeatedly approved patches resulting in upcoming expiration dates this September and December.

The president-elect pushed unsuccessfully to deal with the looming debt ceiling last month when Congress renewed government funding, but could not muster adequate support even among Republicans. So, Congress will have to raise, suspend, or eliminate this limit entirely to avoid hitting it and defaulting on U.S. debts—a fluid deadline projected for mid-year.

More on this:
Why the Debt Fight is Going to Get Even Worse Next Year (Politico)

10 Policies Republicans Could Use to Pay for New Tax Cuts (Washington Post)

Spending Negotiations

Last month, Congress narrowly avoided a federal government shutdown by approving a continuing resolution (CR), which extends funding through March 14th. The temporary spending package sets the stage for renewed negotiations in early spring. The latest CR provides approximately $100 billion in disaster relief, $10 billion in economic support for farmers, a one-year extension of the Farm Bill, funding for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and a three-month extension of short-term health-related provisions, including the extension of some Medicare provisions and telehealth services.

With Republicans in control of Congress and the White House, there will be heightened scrutiny of their ability to avoid another continuing resolution for FY2025. The stakes are high due to the Fiscal Responsibility Act. This law, which passed last Congress, imposes stricter spending caps if a continuing resolution remains in effect beyond April 30, to encourage Congress to enact regular, full-year appropriations legislation. You may read more about the April 30 deadline and its implication in CPCC’s Unrig the Rules series: Why a “date change CR” isn’t just a “date change.”