Today, the House passed the Senate-passed budget resolution by a vote of 216-212. The budget resolution is a concurrent resolution and does not carry the force of law, thus does not require the President’s signature. This resolution formally sets the topline (302(a)) budget levels for fiscal year 2018 spending bills.
More importantly, this budget resolution sets in motion the process known as reconciliation. As part of the budget process, Congress can direct committees to submit legislation that brings spending and revenue in line with the budget resolution. Reconciliation is a powerful tool because it provides for expedited consideration in Congress and only requires a simple majority in the Senate (51 votes, as opposed to 60 votes for cloture).
Republicans plan to use this reconciliation bill to move tax reform legislation. Due to the expedited nature of the reconciliation and the vote threshold, Republicans believe they can pass some sort of tax reform without Democratic votes in either chamber. However, this remains to be seen, as various rifts surrounding the State and Local Tax Deduction and other popular tax provisions could divide the majority and sink reform.
On the energy front, it remains to be seen whether or not an energy title will be included. APGA will continue to take part in tax discussions and advocate for policies that benefit the direct use of natural gas.
For questions on this article, please contact Doug MacGillivray of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-2742 or by email at
dmacgillivray@apga.org.