top of page

HILL LETTERS | 13 Jan. 2025

Updated: Jan 14

Letters from Capitol Hill that Members of Congress have written and signed on to lately.


Letters that Members of Congress have written and signed on to lately.

 

Inauguration is just around the corner 


And a fully seated cabinet is top line for incoming President Trump, with a number of nominations appearing before Senate committee panels this week on schedule to be confirmed by or before Jan. 20. 


Read more about the committee hearings and lineup for this week here


A spell of the hiccups are expected to continue for Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who's having to reveal the depths of his soul and pockets after more than $6 million was shown on disclosures being dissected on the Senate dias, and one of the nominees once shot a dog - an actual dog - she deemed untrainable.


Stay tuned as we track the progress of these appointments. 


Beyond the cabinet committee calendar, Members in both chambers are continuing their conversations on a strategy to tackle taxes. Particularly in focus are several major tax provisions previously established on a temporary basis under Trump, due to expire this year. 


To limit having to debate with Democrats, Republicans are eyeing a procedural move known as reconciliation to move a policy package and plans for related revenue-raising ways and means. 


To begin the reconciliation process, budget resolutions will need to be passed from both chambers; to begin the budget resolution process, budget estimations will need to be taken. 


Wasting no time, even ahead of Trump officially being reinstated to the Oval Office, Republicans are reportedly already deploying creative accounting to reach targeted budget estimation numbers, centering math on current policy rather than current law. 


An essence of Enron aside, reconciliation requires change outlays on revenues.  In other words, provisions with end dates cannot just be eliminated in reconciliation; rather, reconciliation requires each ending provision come with a change to produce a budget accounting scoring effect. 


Inextricably linked to these procedural nuances, measures intended to preserve and prescribe esoteric deliberation are devolving into inner-party debate on whether reconciliation would be better suited to handle Trump’s policy ambitions as one bill package or two. 


Working to address the stalemate, over the weekend, several Members met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago to discuss reconciliation.  Specific provisions are still taking shape, but a state-and-local-tax (SALT) deduction reportedly remains chief among the substantive discussions. 


In short, there was a $10,000 cap passed on SALT deductions of applicable states as part of Trump’s 2017 tax cut bill set to expire for tax years after 2025. Several Members of Congress would like to see the SALT cap raised or eliminated. 


This change would lessen the burden for American voters who live in states where high tax rates and high property costs increases the value of federal tax write-offs. 


Spotlighting potential reasons for defection among the Republicans is the faction that does not favor lifting the SALT cap.  Of course, where there’s confrontation smoke, there’s bargaining potential and fire chits for achieving consensus later this Congress. 


Tax bills passed by reconciliation are one thing.  A tax bill passed with immigration provisions is another, and one with a less certain fate in a razor-thin congressional majority for the Republicans in the House. 


The debt ceiling is another piece of the reconciliation pie over which Members will undoubtedly squabble, with a plan to provide spending cuts to offset these measures that would add to the country’s spending less than clear. 


Sprinkle on the looming thread of spending expiration fast approaching on March 14, a shutdown would do no favors for achieving agreement to advance spending legislation in usual order. 


Continuing resolutions passing current spending levels established in previous fiscal terms are the preferred funding move as of late. 


The reason for this preference is simple:


A proper, prescribed spending package, where the chambers’ committees’ 12 budget bills appropriate then authorize funds at refreshed spending levels in line with legislative policy is but a fantasy in modern time - not to mention damn near impossible with ideologues driving or stalling initiatives de jour. 


On the subject of restoring order to spending, capitalizing on a general election campaign of ending superfluous government spending, Trump empowered First Buddy Elon to create an entire department devoted to limiting waste.  


Cowtowing to the President-elect, returning to the White House with a mandate from the American people to make good on his campaign promises, for the moment, Congress remains conscientious on spending. 


Stay tuned to see how long this spending tamper lasts as a priority when amendments are stricken as non-germane, a plan for reconciliation disintegrates, and Republicans are forced to play with Democrats in the sandbox. 


On theme with harsh realities papers covering campaign promise rocks, Musk has already walked back his projected $2 trillion cut target under his theoretical department dedicated to eliminating government waste.


For some context, in FY24, U.S. federal government spending topped $6.75 trillion, including some $5.3 trillion for Social Security, health care, defense and veterans’ benefits, and interest on the debt.


Regardless of rabblerousing on the Hill, 16 blocks down Pennsylvania Ave., for his first act following inauguration, Trump said he is planning several executive orders, including action on immigration, energy, federal workers and regulatory reform. 

____



THIS WEEK | House Schedule 

 

On Monday, votes began at 6:30 p.m.

 

Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules:


H.R. 192 – Amtrak Executive Bonus Disclosure Act (Sponsored by Rep. Rouzer / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

 

H.R. 188 – Amtrak Transparency and Accountability for Passengers and Taxpayers Act (Sponsored by Rep. Nehls / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

 

H.R. 152 – Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act (Sponsored by Rep. Ezell / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

 

H.R. 153 – Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act (Sponsored by Rep. Ezell / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

 

H.R. 164 – POWER Act of 2025 (Sponsored by Rep. Hoyle / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

 

H.R. 144 – Tennessee Valley Authority Salary Transparency Act (Sponsored by Rep. Cohen / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

 

H.R. 189 – Securities and Exchange Commission Real Estate Leasing Authority Revocation Act (Sponsored by Del. Norton / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

 

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. On Thursday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. Last votes expected no later than 3:00 p.m.

 

Legislation Considered Pursuant to a Rule:


H.R. 28 – Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 (Sponsored by Rep. Steube / Education and Workforce Committee)

 

H.R. 33 – United States-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act (Rep. Smith (MO) / Ways and Means Committee)

 

H.R. 30 – Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act  (Rep. Mace / Judiciary Committee)


IN THE SENATE 


Senators will return to the “Laken Riley Act” (S. 5) after advancing the bill last Thursday’s 84-9. 


In short, S. 5 would require Homeland Security to detain individuals in the U.S. illegally who are arrested for or charged with theft. Several Democrats who supported moving forward and supported the cloture vote on Thursday said they wanted an open debate with amendments. 


Sen.-elect Jim Justice (R-WV), who delayed being sworn in to finish his term as governor, is set to join the chamber this week, as well. 

____



Jan. 12 | Have you ever seen The Wire?


New York City Congressman Ritchie Torres is eviscerating Gov. Kathy Hochul for her “passive” stance on an insidious open-air drug market festering in the South Bronx.


____



Jan. 10 | Out of Their Vulcan Minds


All the members of Alabama’s Congressional delegation have joined 18 of their colleagues in signing a bipartisan letter to the Biden Administration expressing “major concern” over what they say is an attempt to renegotiate provisions of a trade agreement.


____



Jan. 09 | Friends of TikTok 


Ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court hearing tomorrow, U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), along with Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA-17) recently submitted a bipartisan, bicameral amicus brief urging the Court to reverse the D.C. Circuit Court’s decision in TikTok Inc. v. Garland, which upheld a TikTok ban established under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.


____



Jan. 09 | Reasonable Men and Women 


A group of eleven moderate Senate Democrats say they want to work with Republicans on addressing the GOP's expiring tax cuts and raising the debt ceiling.


____



Want to receive Proxenos' Hill Letters updates as they're published?


 

​Proxenos International is a global development and government affairs firm, supporting projects pertaining to everything from power generation and technical advisory, to international trade, political influence, and all that's in between.

Headquartered in Washington, our team, backgrounds, and reach is worldwide. Proxenos would be privileged to transform your problem or potential into power even beyond profit.

bottom of page