January 2024 Outlook

05 Jan January 2024 Outlook

It’s crunch time in Washington D.C. as Congress gears up for a busy month following the holiday recess. The two headline items to address for January are government funding and the Ukraine-Israel supplemental package, which has become intertwined with U.S. border policy. Lawmakers are once again up against a limited time window to fund the government by January 19th or face a partial government shutdown. While Speaker Johnson (R-LA) and Majority Leader Schumer (D-NY) agreed on a topline number for fiscal year 2024 over the weekend, conservative House members have already voiced their disdain for the compromise, further complicating an already difficult to maneuver political landscape. Shutdown politics are not new, but the ongoing fiscal brinkmanship will be Speaker Johnson’s first test to see if he can placate an emboldened House Freedom Caucus. Senate negotiators also continue to work on a supplemental package to fund Ukraine and Israel, two U.S. allies that are entangled in war, and shore up the U.S.-Mexico border, which has experienced an unprecedented influx of illegal migrant crossings.

Below, RFA provides our take on notable legislative, regulatory, and administrative activity for the upcoming January work period.