SBLC: B&T Weekly Hill Update – December 2, 2024

December 2, 2024

Congress returns to D.C. this week to resume the Lame Duck session.

Government Funding: The current continuing resolution (CR) funds the federal government to December 20.  With a floor vote on his nomination to continue as House Speaker in the next Congress just two weeks later (on January 3), Mike Johnson (R-LA) wants to keep his promise to GOP hard-liners that he will not bring up a year-end omnibus spending bill.  His stated preference is for Congress to pass another short-term CR that would extend into March 2025.  That approach would give Republicans and President-elect Trump a bit more leverage to cut FY 2025 appropriations.  But it also would risk bogging down the legislative schedule in the first quarter of next year.

Reportedly, Republican leadership plans to attach a one-year extension of the current farm bill to the CR, giving the party an opportunity to enact its own agriculture policy preferences in the new Congress.

The CR also is expected to carry supplemental disaster funding, although probably not as much as the Biden administration has requested.

National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): The House and Senate continue to negotiate compromise legislation that would resolve differences between their two versions of the bill, which authorizes military pay and construction projects. 

Leadership Elections:  Two weeks ago, House Democrats held secret ballot elections to nominate their leadership for the next Congress.  The caucus nominated Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), Caucus Vice Chair Ted Lieu (D-CA), Assistant Leader Joe Neguse (D-CO), and Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) Chair Debbie Dingle (D-MI) to continue in their current positions.  Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) was nominated to serve as Co-Chair of the DPCC.

Senate Democrats have scheduled their leadership elections for tomorrow morning.

Congressional Members Joining the Trump Administration: Thus far, President-elect Trump has tapped the following members of Congress to join his new administration.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL):  Secretary of State

• Expected to resign from Congress on January 20
• Four years remaining in his term
• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) will appoint a replacement to fill the vacancy until the state’s next regularly scheduled election in 2026.  The candidate elected then will serve for the remaining two years of Rubio’s term.  

 Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH):  Elected Vice President

• Has not yet announced the date of his resignation
• Four years remaining in his term
• Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) will appoint a replacement to fill the vacancy until December 15, 2026.  The state will hold a special election in November 2026, and the candidate elected then will serve for the last two years of Vance’s term.

 Rep. Lori Chavez DeRemer (R-OR):  Secretary of Labor

• Lost her reelection in November

Former-Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL):  Attorney General, subsequently withdrawn.  

• Resigned from Congress when his nomination was announced (subsequently withdrew his nomination)
• The vacancy will be filled by a special election to be held on April 1, 2025.  The district is solidly Republican.

 Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY):  Ambassador to the United Nations

• Expected to resign from Congress once confirmed by the Senate
•  Once she resigns, the New York Governor will have 10 days to call for a special election to fill the vacant seat.  The special election must be held within 70 days of that call.  The district is solidly Republican. 

Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL):  

•  Will resign from Congress on January 20
• The vacancy will be filled by a special election to be held on April 1, 2025.  The district is solidly Republican.

2024 Election Closer to Concluding:  One House race remains uncalled, in California’s 13th congressional district.  The Democrat is leading in that contest by 190 votes.  Per state law, county election officials must finalize the vote by December 5, and the California secretary of state will certify the results eight days later.  If the current lead holds, Republicans will have won 220 congressional seats to Democrats’ 215. But, with the three House departures listed above, Republicans would have just 217 members for the first few months of 2025, leaving them zero margin for dissent in House votes (unlike in the Senate, a measure fails in the House on a tie vote).

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:

MaggiLazarus  | Of Counsel

(202) 831-6756  

MLazarus@btlaw.com

Matt Morgan  | Partner

(317) 554-7997

Mmorgan@btlaw.com