This Week in D.C.

Former President Trump regains the presidency; Republican trifecta is finalized

Former President Donald Trump won the presidency, securing 312 electoral college votes and winning the popular vote, ushering in a red wave in Congress. As of this newsletter, the House will remain Republican by a very thin margin of 219-210, and the Senate will flip to Republican, with the party gaining four seats in Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia and a final breakdown of 53-47; Vice President-elect J.D. Vance will break any tie as needed.

Senate and House Republicans also held their internal leadership elections, which are only open to members of the Republican caucuses. After Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell decided to step down following years of leading the upper chamber, three candidates ran as his replacement, with Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) emerging victorious. House leaders also met to solidify their leadership positions; new positions were elected with Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) as conference chair, Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) as conference policy chair and Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) as conference secretary while the rest remained the same from the 118th Congress. They also voted to support Speaker Mike Johnson to hold his position before a floor vote requiring 218 votes Jan. 3.

Want to learn more? We hope you can join NRCA for a webinar Nov. 19 at noon CST to discuss the 2024 election and 2025 legislative and political outlook. 

President-elect Trump’s early staffing decisions provide outlook for his second administration

President-elect Trump has hit the ground running, announcing a slate of key administration officials and tapping close allies from his 2024 campaign. Following is a sample of what we know so far:

• Susie Wiles, chief of staff, a senior adviser to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign who has a long background in Florida politics
• Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff for policy, an immigration hardliner who was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump’s priority of mass deportations and was a senior adviser during Trump’s first administration
• Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff, a former senior adviser on the past three campaigns who ran social media for the White House during the first administration
• James Blair, deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president, who was a former political director for Trump’s 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee
• Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel, who launched and directed Make America Great Again Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump’s 2024 campaign
• Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who will lead the Department of Government Efficiency
• Pete Hegseth, secretary of defense, a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” who has been a contributor with the network since 2014
• Kristi Noem, secretary of homeland security, who is governor of South Dakota
• Mike Waltz, national security adviser, who is a current congressman, retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran
• Tom Homan, “border czar,” who served under Trump during his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• Elise Stefanik, United Nations ambassador, who is a current member of Congress
• Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency administrator, who is a former congressman

Treasury, IRS issue final regulations for the advanced manufacturing production credit

On Oct. 24, the Department of the Treasury and the IRS issued final regulations to provide guidance for the Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit established by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit provides a tax credit for the production and sale of specified domestically produced eligible components, including solar and wind energy components and 50 critical minerals, to unrelated persons. Generally, the final regulations define qualifying production activities and eligible components and production costs; define rules related to calculating the credit; provide rules for the sale of eligible components to unrelated persons, as well as special rules that apply to sales between related persons; and provide rules to address contract manufacturing scenarios.

USCIS announces E-Verify+

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently introduced E-Verify+, which aims to streamline the employment eligibility verification process by combining Form I-9 and E-Verify into one seamless digital process. Under E-Verify+, newly hired employees complete their Form I-9 directly through E-Verify, reducing the burden on employers of completing the existing paperwork. USCIS has been working on E-Verify+ for several years, though it has previously been referred to as E-Verify NextGen. E-Verify+ is completely voluntary and available only to employers who currently use E-Verify; employers must be invited by USCIS to join the program. Employers who are invited to participate will receive the invitation electronically when logging in to their existing account and then must follow the steps to complete enrollment. View more information about E-Verify+. 

Date : Jan. 01, 0001