JANUARY 2018
average bill that passes is nothing more than naming a post office, he said.
“Nothing’s really ever new,” said Paul. The few pieces of legislation that do pass are consent resolutions, mammoth bills that incorporate language from other, smaller bills that failed. “Often it’s a really long game,” he observed.
Despite the news that dominates the headlines, a lot of legislative work is done behind the scenes. It’s the job of lobbyists to find out what is happening and report back to their clients and identify opportunities for engagement with federal lawmakers and officials.
February will be dominated by the federal budget, he predicted. Republicans want to avoid a government shutdown because it would be viewed unfavorably in the November elections.
Federal funding for infrastructure is going to be an important issue early this year, he predicted. Trump has promised to spend $550 billion on infrastructure improvements, he noted, and the nation has crumbling bridges, roads, and other infrastructure that need repair or replacement. It likely will be the first major piece of legislation that Congress considers, he suggested. Other big legislative issues will be the Water Resources Development Act, the farm bill, reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, and legislation regarding the Federal Aviation Administration, which is making a transition from ground-based radar to satellite-based as well as undertaking other improvements.
It’s the job of lobbyists to find out what is happening and report back to their clients and identify opportunities for engagement with federal lawmakers and officials
Congress avoided a lot of worker safety issues in 2017, said Paul, in part because it was embroiled in other issues, like Obamacare. However, it likely will take up worker safety in 2018. “I expect Congress is going to work hard on directives to roll back regulations but also keep workers safe,” said Paul. “That’s going to be a balancing act for them.”
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be issuing a strategic plan in a few months, he added, which should give some indication of what the agency’s approach will be under the Trump administration. The focus probably will be more on assisting companies with compliance and fostering a more collaborative approach with business rather than relying on inspections and enforcement.
The new policies will be slow to come to fruition, suggested Paul. Some likely will be challenged in court. The U.S. is a “litigious society,” he noted, and federal agencies are prone to be sued by various interest groups. “That really stymies a lot of what can be done.”