A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/905671
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT AT - A - GLANCE • Tax reform is #1 priority for Republicans right now; Passed in House; Pending in S enate • Government funding runs out on Dec . 8; Shutdown a possibility…again • Packed schedule means FAA Reauthorization is unlikely to be considered until next year CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE The House and Senate are both in recess for the week of Thanksgiving a nd return to Washington, D.C. , the following week. TAX REFORM Tax reform is the number one policy goal for Republicans at this point. On Thursday, Nov. 16, House Republicans passed their version of tax reform by a vote of 227 - 205. The legislation (H.R. 1 , the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act), would slash the corporate tax rate, lower tax burdens for most individuals, and add an estimated $1.4 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade. The Senate has its own version of tax reform legislation, and the cham ber is currently planning to consider the bill following the Thanksgiving recess. However, it isn't yet clear if the Senate has enough votes to pass its version. As a reminder, the Senate only needs 50 votes because they are using the budget reconciliation process as a vehicle for tax reform in the Senate. What's Next : Now that the House has passed its version of tax reform, the chamber will wait for the Senate to complete its own version. The following step could be a "conference committee," which would reconcile any changes before finalizing the legislation. Another possibility is that Senate and House Republican leaders come to an agreement without a conference committee. Background : Passage of the Congressional budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 201 8 included "reconciliation instructions." Reconciliation instructions grant Congress the ability to fast - track consideration of tax reform legislation without it being subject to a filibuster in the Senate. By avoiding a Senate filibuster, tax reform could potentially be completed before the New Year. NATCA Impact : If legislation adds to the annual deficit, Republicans will be looking for "offsets" to help pay for the legislation. NATCA is working with congressional leadership and authorizing committees t o avoid any cuts that cou ld be harmful to NATCA members. GOVERNME NT FUNDING RUNS OUT DECEMBER 8 Lawmakers only have a couple of weeks to avoid a government shutdown. A continuing resolution (CR) is currently in effect to provide government funding until D ec . 8, 2017. Republicans have been focused on tax reform, meaning they have had limited time to address appropriations in a comprehensive manner. It is likely that another stopgap funding bill will need to be passed in order to avoid a shutdown. This would buy lawmakers more time to get a final spending package approved. Shutdown Possibility : Conservative members are expressing concerns with any stopgap spending legislation, as well as "defense hawks" who would like to see an increase in military spendin g. Further, a legislative fix for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is complicating work on a year - end spending package. President Trump and Senate Republicans do not want a legislative fix for DACA included in a final spending bill , but Democrats have already threatened to shutdown the government if DACA isn't included. Sequestration Cuts : There is no sequestration trigger in the current CR (through Dec . 8). However, lawmakers will need to act if they want to prevent sequestratio n from going