Welcome Back To The Hustle From Ferox Strategies!

One For The Books

In a crashing wave of red, former President Donald Trump made a historic comeback, dominating the popular vote (third time’s the charm) and the electoral college to cement his win as the 47th President of the United States. President-elect Trump swayed all seven swing states in his favor, with Arizona dealing the Democratic Party its final blow to solidify the win. With a Republican-led Senate, Trump’s cabinet nominees will sail through confirmation without impediment.

House GOP leadership confidently projects they will maintain the majority in the House, similar to current margins. Speaker Johnson, and the rest of the GOP House leadership, hope to remain firmly seated in their positions with minimal deliberation, relying on Trump’s heavy hand to avoid any onerous leadership quarrels derailing his first 100 days.

This Senate flip ushers in a new era for Senate Republican leadership and, for the first time in decades, a new Majority Leader for the party. Frontrunners Senators John Thune (S-SD) and John Cornyn (R-TX) are mobilizing their supporters as underdog Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) attempts to garner momentum by seeking Trump’s endorsement. The battle to the top takes place this week behind closed doors via a secret ballot that only requires a majority vote to declare a victor. Will Trump exercise influence for or against any candidates? That’s a wild card that hasn’t been pulled yet.

As the fight for the top seat rages on, Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) remains unopposed for Majority Whip, and Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) is campaigning to run the NRSC. Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) are both vying for Senate GOP Conference Chair.

Let’s Play Musical Chairs

House Committee gavels and selections rest on the shoulders of Speaker Johnson as he decides when the Steering Committee will meet and if it will be before or after the floor vote for Speaker on January 3^rd. And we now know how fun those votes can be… We’re hearing he’s leaning towards Steering meeting in early December, to make sure Republicans can hit the ground running on day one, but leaving him without key negotiating chits for his eventual floor vote. Expect to see familiar faces behind the Ranking Member name placards next year, with most Democrats staying put. The nearly identical margins should make committee ratio discussions with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) a much easier process, too.

We’re watching as Trump’s cabinet nominations trickle in and the domino effect plucking more Members of Congress could have. There is already a scramble to replace Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) as GOP Conference Chair, and more musical chairs could be coming.

Considering several senior Democratic Senators lost their seats, expect to see shuffling of Chairs and Ranking Members in that chamber. Unlike the House, Committee positions are determined by seniority (and term limits for the GOP). Thus, less ambiguity exists in filling openings in the Senate. Although, keep a weather eye out for Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) vying for Senator Bill Cassidy’s (R-LA) Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) throne.

Buckle Up, It’s Tax Time

While Congress must debate the usuals — appropriations, the Farm Bill, surface transportation, foreign aid, disaster supplementals, and the debt limit — Republicans have more than enough flexing power to handle their top legislative priority reconciling the past four years and the expiring Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) provisions.

A “Tax Superbowl” is around the corner via reconciliation, an arcane parliamentary procedure that will allow Republican rule with a simple majority, cutting out Democratic members from any potential deals and opening the floodgates to provisions and riders addressing the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the border, energy policy, and other politically charged non-tax priorities.

While uncertainty remains on the size of an end-of-year package, whether Congress likes it or not, two things must get done. They must pass legislation to fund the government before the December 20th deadline of the continuing resolution (CR) and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Go Big or Go Home?

Several health policies will be attached to either piece of legislation, the question is how big will either package be? A handful of public health programs expire alongside top-line appropriations in the CR, as well as the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher (PRV) Program’s reauthorization. The BIOSECURE Act is additionally set up to be tacked onto the NDAA.

Three bipartisan bills currently contain a reauthorization of the PRV. The Give Kids a Chance Act passed out of the House Energy & Commerce Committee in September, and the Creating Hope Reauthorization Act awaits markup rescheduling in Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), teeing up the program for continuation in the lame-duck if Congress has the means.

These health extenders will likely be extended with the deadline to whatever is set for the next CR. While March or April are hot dates to assume, with reconciliation, Republicans may push the CR into the summer.

The Speaker’s office expressed plans to include the BIOSECURE Act in the final version of the NDAA even before the election. This legislation passed the House floor in September, 306 to 81, but has not seen floor action across the rotunda. At the end of last month, Senate Finance floated that they may put out a reworked version of BIOSECURE before the end of the year, which may be taken directly into conferencing.

Ferox is proud to welcome two new clients, the Women’s Congressional Staff Foundation and Curaleaf!

Women’s Congressional Staff Foundation (WCSF) is a non-partisan, non-profit organization devoted to establishing the next generation of women on Capitol Hill. The organization is founded and led by former Congressional staffers who hold the existence and the continued success of women’s leadership close to their hearts. Ferox looks forward to strengthening female leadership and the existing framework on the Hill alongside the WCSF board!

Curaleaf is an adult-use cannabis company focused on providing users with quality cannabis for health and wellness. The company pivots its resources toward those who responsibly partake in the social and medicinal consumption of its products while advocating for continued legitimate business practices and the proper scheduling of cannabis-based products. The firm is eager to hit the ground running with the Curaleaf team!

RNA revolution trailblazer, Ferox client Avidity Biosciences, presented at the FDA Rare Disease Innovation Hub Public Meeting on October 16th: Steadfast rare disease advocate and Avidity’s Chief Program Officer, Kath Gallagher, delivered remarks on behalf of the company at the Advancing Rare Disease Therapies through an FDA Rare Disease Innovation Hub Meeting hosted by the FDA in collaboration with the Reagan-Udall Foundation. Describing the Hub as a “real legacy moment,” Kath was privileged to present alongside patient advocates and other key distinguished community stakeholders providing input to leading regulatory officials on the standup of the Hub.

Ferox Strategies is eager to welcome our 2024 fall interns!

Carleen, a graduate of Wellesley College, previously interned with Rep. Jenniffer González Colón (R-PR) through the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI) Global Leaders internship program and joins Ferox for her corporate placement.

David, a Texas native and graduate of Texas A&M University, previously interned with the office of Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) and at the U.S. Embassy in London. He additionally joins Ferox for his corporate placement through the CHLI program.

Colin, a senior at Emerson College, is completing a B.S. in Communication Studies with an emphasis on Business Strategy and Research, joining Ferox this fall as a member of the Washington Center’s academic internship program.

To learn more about the Ferox team, please visit our website at www.FeroxStrategies.com

Ferox Strategies is a boutique government relations firm that takes its name from the Latin word for “fierce,” reflecting the firm’s values of determination, dedication, and aggressive advocacy for our clients. Ferox’s bipartisan team of government relations professionals offers clients decades’ worth of policy and advocacy experience paired with the tenacity of a start-up firm. www.FeroxStrategies.com.

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