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Congressional Update
On Sept. 23, the Senate passed a six-month Continuing Resolution (CR) funding the government through Mar. 27, 2013. The House passed an identical bill on Sept. 13, and the President is expected to sign the measure before the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30. Once the CR was passed, Congress recessed for the duration of the campaign season, planning to return in mid-November for a "lame duck" session. The Nov. 6 election will determine the pace and tenor of any lame duck session, including how Congress will deal with an impending "fiscal cliff" of expiring tax provisions and the sequestration put in place by last summer’s Budget Control Act (see story below). Acknowledging the progress made on individual funding bills in the FY13 appropriations process, congressional leaders have said that the CR could be superseded by an omnibus bill in the lame duck or early days of the 113th Congress. An omnibus bill may be a more likely course of action if congressional leaders decide to once again delay action on the tax and fiscal issues by extending their effective dates into 2013. An omnibus bill would allow the inclusion of policy provisions, such as the pilot program for interim storage of spent nuclear fuel, which was part of the Senate energy and water appropriations bill. Members of Congress may also consider pushing back the sequestration deadline, with members on both sides of the aisle agreeing to "kick the can down the road" to allow more time to reach agreement on a broader deficit reduction deal. Among the models being discussed is a scaled-down version of the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles plan released in December of 2010. That plan included a proposal whereby state and local governments, including public power utilities, could no longer issue tax-exempt bonds. The provision is strongly opposed by NEPPA and APPA. To read the complete legislative update including the following topics, click here. Administration Releases Sequestration Report to Congress |
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