Recap of the 117th Congress:
The 117th Congress passed significant pieces of legislation to benefit scientific efforts, including the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 (H.R.5376). Additional bills, such as the Continental Divide Trail Completion Act (H.R.5118), passed the House but have not been taken up in the Senate.
Lame Duck Session:
The House and Senate have returned to Washington for a lame duck session, during which the top priority is to keep the government running after Dec. 16. It looks like December will be long and will likely require another short-term continuing resolution extension to at least Dec. 23. Issues that are at the forefront, in addition to the spending package, include same-sex marriage, changes to the Electoral Count Act, and raising the debt ceiling.
Preview of 118th Congress
In the 118th Congress, we may see a few pieces of legislation relevant to UCAR’s interests. The first is the reauthorization of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017. This bill was sponsored by Rep. Frank Lucas, who is the projected chair of the House Science, Space, & Technology Committee. The second is the NOAA Organic Act, which could potentially result in NOAA becoming an independent agency. We are also looking out for appropriations to fund the CHIPS and Science Act in addition to the package of wildfire bills passed by the House in July.
For a look at who is likely to fill leadership roles in the House and Senate, read the full Policy Insider online.
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