Contains a detailed review of what Congress has to get done by the end of 2014. Including deadline driven legislation and critical issues such as ISIS, Minimum Wage, Ban on Internet Taxes, Ukraine, Border Control and more.
2. Legislation with Deadlines
Spending Bill to Fund the Government
Reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank
Ban on Internet Taxes
Expiring Tax Provisions
Urgent Issues
ISIS
Responding to Russian Troops in the Ukraine
Border Control
Federal Minimum Wage and Unemployment
3. Is another government
shutdown looming?
Spending bill DEADLINE October 1st 2014
credit: cool revolution via flickr
4. What happens without a spending bill?
credit: Source: USA TODAY research, AP
Kevin A. Kepple, Gregory Korte and Veronica Bravo, USA TODAY
5. Congress and spending legislation:
2015 appropriations have been stymied by controversial
debates over amendments and the politics of an election
year. The House so far has managed to pass 7 of 12 FY
2015 spending bills; the Senate has not passed any yet.
Congress largely abandoned the annual appropriations
process recently, or what lawmakers call “regular order,”
because of politics and hyperpartisanship.
Lawmakers need to come up with alternative measures
in September to avoid a repeat of the 2013 government
shutdown.
6. How Congress may act:
Option 1: Pass a resolution funding federal agencies
between Oct. 1 and the mid-term elections in November,
and then pass an omnibus bill including appropriations for
all the agencies during the lame-duck session.
Option 2: Lawmakers pass two continuing resolutions:
one funding agencies from Oct. 1 through the lame-duck
session in December, and another after the election to
keep the government open through March or April.
Both Republicans and Democrats want to avoid another government
shutdown at all costs. The timeliness of a Continuing Resolution could
largely depend on whether lawmakers try to graft other political issues
into the funding proposal.
8. The Export-Import Bank of the
United States is a federal agency that
subsidizes U.S. exporting businesses
through direct loans, loan guarantees,
and other measures.
S. 2709
The Export-
Import Bank
Reauthorization
Act of 2014
credit: U.S. Department of State
FOLLOW THE BILL 1
9. Why the debate over Ex-Im Bank?
Debate over whether to continue authorization for the
Ex-Im Bank, which provides critical support to many
businesses in export-driven industries, has caused a rift
between establishment Republicans and conservatives
aligned with the Tea Party and has become a key issue in
several critical midterm elections.
In addition to the Senate proposal to extend authorization
for the Bank for another five years, the House GOP is
considering its own short-term reauthorization bill or
embedding a short-term reauthorization in must-pass the
federal spending bill.
11. The Internet Tax Freedom
Act, which prevents states
from taxing Internet
access, is set to expire
on November 1, 2014.
Most lawmakers favor a
permanent prohibition,
and on July 15, the House
passed H.R. 3086 with
broad bipartisan support.
H.R. 3086
Permanent
Internet Tax
Freedom Act
FOLLOW THE BILL 1
12. Complicating the issue is
debate over another Internet
taxation bill – the Marketplace
Fairness Act, which would
require online sellers to collect
state sales taxes.
To address the impasse,
Sen. Majority Leader Harry
Reid (D-NV) merged the two
bills into one, creating - S. 2609
– Marketplace and Internet Tax
Fairness Act.
S. 743 –
Marketplace
Fairness Act of
2013
FOLLOW THE BILL 1
S. 2609 –
Marketplace
and Internet Tax
Fairness Act
FOLLOW THE BILL 1
14. On December 31, 2013 a number of tax provisions
expired. If Congress does not pass extension
legislation then the provisions will be unavailable
to 2015 individual and business filers.
A number of these tax incentives were added
to combat the recession around 2008, and other
temporary tax incentives were enacted to help
certain new or struggling industries or to encourage
economic growth.
According to the Senate Finance
Committee, 128 tax incentives are set
to expire this year.
15. H.R. 2807
Conservation
Easement
Incentive Act
of 2013
FOLLOW THE BILL 1 FOLLOW THE BILL 1 FOLLOW THE BILL 1
H.R. 3134
Charitable
Giving
Extension Act
H.R. 4619
Permanent
IRA Charitable
Contribution
Act Of 2014
HR. 4691
Private
Foundation
Excise Tax
Simplification
Act Of 2014
H.R. 4719
Fighting
Hunger
Incentive Act
Of 2014
HR.4718 - Amend
The Internal
Revenue Code Of
1986 To Modify
And Make
Permanent Bonus
Depreciation.
FOLLOW THE BILL 1 FOLLOW THE BILL 1 FOLLOW THE BILL 1
16. HR.4429
Permanent
Active
Financing
Exception Act
Of 2014
FOLLOW THE BILL 1 FOLLOW THE BILL 1 FOLLOW THE BILL 1
HR.4454
Permanent S
Corporation
Charitable
Contributions
Act Of 2014
HR.4438
American
Research And
Competitiveness
Act Of 2014
H.R. 4457
America’s
Small Business
Tax Relief Act
of 2014
HR.4453
Permanent S
Corporation
Built-in Gains
Recognition
Period Act Of
2014
HR.3474 - Hire
More Heroes
Act Of 2013
FOLLOW THE BILL 1 FOLLOW THE BILL 1 FOLLOW THE BILL 1
18. Congress will have to decide whether to authorize U.S. airstrikes
against ISIS, and how to address other military interventions.
The House passed legislation that would require Congressional
approval before use of military force in both Iraq and Syria.
H.Con. Res. 105 prohibits the President from deploying U.S. Armed
Forces in a combat role in Iraq without specific authorization. It
passed the House by 370-40.
H.Con. Res. 110, which calls for urgent international intervention on
behalf of Iraqi civilians facing a dire humanitarian crisis in Iraq.
On the Senate side, S. J. Res. 21, would authorize military force in
Syria under certain conditions but still would not allow ground
combat operations.
Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) published
an op-ed in the New York Times on August 29th calling on the
President to do more to confront ISIS.
19. HCONRES.105
Directing The
President,
Pursuant To
Section 5(c) Of
The War Powers
Resolution, To
Remove United
States Armed
Forces, Other
Than Armed
Forces Required
To Protect United
States Diplomatic
Facilities And
Personnel, From
Iraq.
HCONRES.110
Calling
For Urgent
International
Intervention
On Behalf Of
Iraqi Civilians
Facing A Dire
Humanitarian
Crisis And
Severe
Persecution In
The Nineveh
Plain Region Of
Iraq.
SJRES.21 -
Authorization
For The Use Of
Military Force
Against The
Government
Of Syria To
Respond
To Use Of
Chemical
Weapons
FOLLOW THE BILL 1 FOLLOW THE BILL 1 FOLLOW THE BILL 1
21. On April 9, 2014, Congress passed H.R.
4152, Support for the Sovereignty,
Integrity, Democracy, and Economic
Stability of Ukraine Act of 2014.
Since then, militant separatists
in eastern Ukraine shot down a
commercial airplane, killing 298
people. During the past few days,
Russian troops have begun to move
into parts of eastern Ukraine.
Congress will have to address how to
respond to Russia’s recent aggression.
HR.4152
Support
For The
Sovereignty,
Integrity,
Democracy,
And
Economic
Stability Of
Ukraine Act
Of 2014
FOLLOW THE BILL 1
23. The unprecedented influx of minors at the U.S. border
has caught the attention of Congress, with several
committees holding hearings.
Congress will have to address budget needs associated
with agencies tasked with detaining, holding, and
determining whether to deport or allow the minors to
stay in the U.S. or deport them in a fair and manner.
Congress will also have to address the underlying
issues that have created the crisis.
24. HR.5137
Asylum
Reform
And Border
Protection Act
Of 2014
H.R. 5272
To prohibit
certain
actions with
respect to
deferred
action for
aliens not
lawfully
present in the
United States
S. 2773
Protecting
Children and
America’s
Homeland Act
FOLLOW THE BILL 1 FOLLOW THE BILL 1 FOLLOW THE BILL 1
26. In 2014 President Obama called on Congress to raise the
federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10 an
hour. Advocacy groups are pressing this cause.
It’s a contentious issue. There’s little chance Congress
will raise the wage before mid-term election.
Advocacy groups are pressing lawmakers to pass a bill
before the turn of the year.
H.R. 4839
Original
Living Wage
Act of 2014
S. 1845
Emergency
Unemployment
Compensation
Extension Act
S. 2486
Restoring
Overtime Pay
for Working
Americans Act.
READ THE BILL FOLLOW THE BILL1 READ THE BILL
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