Congressional Update: Govt. Doesn’t Close, Build Back Better Delayed, EV Funding

Thursday, Congress passed a Continuing Resolution extending government funding until March 11, 2022, giving Congress only a few weeks to resolve negotiations.

As a reminder, a Continuing Resolution continues existing government funding at Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 levels. It is critical that Congress pass an FY 2022 package to fully fund portions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Build Back Better

According to Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), there was no discussion of the stalled Build Back Better Act (BBB) during Thursday’s meeting between Senate Democrats and senior Biden Administration officials.

Moreover, many frontline Democrats in tough races, such as Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), are looking beyond BBB towards enacting smaller policy changes.

Additional Senate Democrats, including Sens. Warnock (D-GA), Hassan (D-NH), and Kelly (D-AZ), are attempting to reach across the aisle and chart new legislative paths that are not tied to BBB.

The White House, apparently, has not lost hope on advancing portions of the BBB.

To respond to continued inflation, Biden Administration officials, along with some Congressional Democrats, floated a temporary federal gas tax holiday. Senators from both parties criticized the proposal, however, making it unlikely.

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