Government Funding, Stimulus Package, Tax Credits, and Defense Authorization on Agenda for Lame Duck

The Senate returned for the "lame-duck" session of Congress on November 9, with the House set to return on November 16.

Lawmakers will have a busy lame-duck session, with government funding at the top of the agenda as the current funding continuing resolution expires on December 11. With the Senate just now set to release their proposals for FY2021 funding, it may be a tall order for lawmakers to find consensus before the deadline, and another short-term extension may punt the funding debate into early 2021.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is the national security legislative vehicle Congress has passed every year since 1961. Leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees work to keep the bill free of controversial provisions. While the exact timing of passage of the 2021 iteration is unclear, it is expected to occur in the first half of December. The NDAA is sometimes used to authorize programs with bipartisan support that fall outside of the traditional realm of "defense" policy.

Negotiations could also continue on a coronavirus stimulus package, after pre-election talks didn't yield an agreement. Several coronavirus response programs are set to expire at the end of the year, including emergency leave and pandemic unemployment assistance programs.

A host of tax credits (know as "extenders") are also set to expire on December 31, and IWLA recently joined a broad coalition of organizations in sending a letter to Congressional leaders asking that they act on these credits before Congress adjourns for the year. Previous lapses of these temporary tax provisions have caused hardship for many industry sectors and individuals that utilize these tax incentives.

The contentious nature of the 2020 election and lingering uncertainty on the final balance of power in the 117th Congress may result in the current lame-duck session being somewhat unproductive. However, the pressure of responding to the pandemic and several statutory deadlines could see Congress coming together in a few areas to pass significant legislation before the year-end.

To become an IWLA member visit, http://31y.93c.myftpupload.com/become-an-iwla-member/