There are five weeks left in the 2020 legislative session and ACA International will continue its legislative advocacy on Capitol Hill.
11/9/2020 14:00
The 116th Congress will adjourn on Dec. 18, which means there are five weeks left in the legislative session.
ACA International is preparing for the lame-duck session in Congress, which is an important timeframe to continue to advocate on legislative issues impacting the accounts receivable management industry.
Here are a few key dates to track before Inauguration Day Jan. 20 and the 117th Congress convenes:
- Dec. 11: This is the deadline for Congress to reach a resolution on a spending deal to fund the federal government. The short-term continuing resolution for government funding also expires on this date, thus a new spending deal is required. Debate also continues on another stimulus relief bill and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said he wants an agreement by the end of the year, The Hill reports.
- Dec. 18: The 116th Congress is scheduled to adjourn.
- Jan. 3, 2021: The 117th Congress begins.
- Jan. 5, 2021: Georgia runoff election. The majority in the U.S. Senate hinges on runoff elections in Georgia between U.S. Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., and Democrat Jon Ossoff, and U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., and Democrat Raphael Warnock.
- Jan. 20, 2021: Inauguration Day. On Nov. 7, the media declared Former Vice President Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States after securing the necessary 270 electoral votes with a win in Pennsylvania.
The U.S. House of Representatives flipped more seats than expected to Republican, narrowing the Democrats’ majority. At press time, while results on the majority in the U.S. Senate are pending, the Democrats retained their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. Based on where the congressional elections stand now, the best-case scenario for House Republicans is 221 Democrats to 214 Republicans; a worse-case scenario is 230 Democrats to 205 Republicans, ACA previously reported.
Some committee leadership decisions may have to wait until after the results of the Georgia runoff election. However, it is projected, if Republicans keep their majority in the Senate, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., could move into the role of chairman of the Senate Banking Committee for his last two years in Congress. Toomey has announced his retirement and that he will not run for reelection in 2022, ACA previously reported.
Overall, there are seven new members of the U.S. Senate for the 117th Congress, four who are replacing retiring members in Tennessee, New Mexico, Wyoming and Kansas, and three defeated incumbents in Arizona, Alabama and Colorado.
U.S. Sens. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., and Doug Jones, D-Ala., were not reelected, meaning at least two new senators will join the Senate Banking Committee.
In the House, ACA continues to follow the results in New York for U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., and more than a dozen races that are not yet called.
ACA is continuing to review election results to provide updates for members and is preparing for every outcome. We’ve been laying the groundwork for engagement and education with incumbents who might find themselves moving committees as well as candidates who might find themselves as members of Congress in January.
Related Content from ACA International:
ARM Industry Reaction to the 2020 Election Results (So Far)
ACA International is Ready to Work with the New Administration