This Week in Congress

Congress focused this week on tax and border security issues, while the final passage of spending measures, remain works in progress.  The House debated potential votes on tax and immigration measures, including the sweeping bipartisan tax package to renew business tax breaks and enhance the child tax credit.

The immigration focus comes as senators negotiate a bipartisan package to overhaul U.S. border and immigration policy and provide additional aid to Ukraine and Israel.  Last week, Speaker Johnson (R-LA) stated that an emerging plan would be “dead on arrival in the House.”

President Biden committed to using “new emergency authority to shut down the border” as contours of an immigration deal negotiated between the White House and a bipartisan group of senators continues to emerge in the Senate.

Finally, Congress can begin discussing the details of a final spending package after House and Senate negotiators reached a deal on top-line allocations for the 12 FY24 annual federal funding bills.  Appropriations Chairs Sen. Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Granger (R-TX) had been negotiating the funding amounts since a January 7th deal on high-level defense and non-defense levels. Congress faces funding deadlines on March 1st and 8th.