A lot has been happening in Washington, D.C. this last week that affects our industry, so please see our update below.
 
On Monday, Congress passed its long-awaited omnibus spending deal.  A summary of the relevant sections of the omnibus deal – which includes the $900 billion stimulus deal – can be found on MRAA’s website. This will be updates as we continue to pour through this 5,600 page document.   
 
As you all must know by now, President Trump has not committed to signing the omnibus package or the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes Coast Guard safety provisions our industry supports. Today is the deadline for NDAA to be signed or vetoed, which will be a big tell.
 
Due to the margin that the omnibus passed by, it is unlikely that President Trump will outright veto it, but he may pocket-veto it instead. Normally, a President needs to act on a bill within 10 days of receiving it. A pocket veto is a maneuver that can happen at the end of a session where the President vetoes a bill by not acting on it and lets it expire at the end of Congress.
 
Here are some important dates to know as we navigate this:
 
December 23: Date that Congress would need to get a bill to the President to avoid a pocket-veto. The package passed on Tuesday evening looks like it will arrive on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day due to the sheer size of it.
 
December 26: Unemployment insurance runs out for millions of Americans.
 
December 28: Current Government spending ends. Failure to pass a budget deal (or continuing resolution, which funds federal agencies at current levels until a set date) by this date will cause a government shutdown.
 
December 30: Potential day when Congress could override a standard veto by President Trump. This day was already set aside by Congress through a memo to members to override a potential veto for the NDAA.
 
January 3: Any bill not signed by this date is dead. If no deal is made by here, there will be no opportunity for a deal until after the inauguration.
 
January 20: Presidential inauguration, when the a package could be passed and signed by the Biden administration if no agreement is made before Jan 3.
 
Things are still fluid with this situation right now. We could see a month-long budget deal, amendments to the omnibus, changes passed as stand-alone bills, or a breakdown in negotiations. I will share information with you all as I hear it.
 
As always, please reach out to Adam Fortier-Brown, MRAA Government Relations Manager, with any questions or concerns.