Four House committees began markup of their portions of the reconciliation mega-bill today — Financial Services, Oversight and Transportation & Infrastructure at 10 A.M. and Judiciary at 2 P.M. As the markups play out, House Republicans are set to dive into discussions over the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap today, officially kicking off negotiations for one of the largest, and most contentious, sticking points in the party’s package full of President Donald J. Trump’s legislative priorities. Republicans who represent high-tax blue states like New York, New Jersey and California, a group that makes up the SALT Caucus, are scheduled to huddle with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Missouri) today at 4:30 P.M, marking the first meeting about the issue since the budget reconciliation process entered its final stage in the House. On the other end of the ideological spectrum, however, are deficit hawks who are not on board with offering such relief for Democratic-led blue liberal elite states. Representative Chip Roy (R-Texas), a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, voiced his opposition to such a move on Tuesday, arguing that expanding the deduction cap would make it more difficult for the package to be deficit-neutral, which hardliners are demanding. Republicans placed a $10,000 deduction cap on SALT as part of the 2017 Trump tax cuts, and since then, Republicans and Democrats in high-tax blue states have been pushing to increase the ceiling, introducing different proposals. The meeting comes as SALT caucus Republicans are warning that they will not support a Trump agenda bill unless it includes a suitable increase in the deduction cap — a warning for Speaker Johnson who needs near unanimity in the chamber to get the legislation over the finish line.
For today, the Senate convened at 10:00 A.M. and is expected to take up passage of H.J.Res.42, Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Energy relating to “Energy Conservation Program for Appliance Standards: Certification Requirements, Labeling Requirements, and Enforcement Provisions for Certain Consumer Products and Commercial Equipment.” The Senate is also expected to take up a Motion to proceed to H.J.Res.75, Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy relating to “Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Commercial Refrigerators, Freezers, and Refrigerator-Freezers.”
Additional votes are expected during today’s Senate session in relation to S.J.Res.49, a joint resolution terminating the national emergency declared to impose global tariffs and Cal. #31, S.J.Res.31, a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to “Review of Final Rule Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act.”
The House is in session and at around 5:00 P.M. will take up three pieces of legislation overturning more Biden-era energy rules on waivers for California car emissions standards: H.J. Res. 87, H.J. Res. 88 and H.J. Res. 89 .
