Congress Reconvenes After Midterm Elections

In this LEVICK Daily video interview, LEVICK’s Lanny Davis and Jessica Lenard examine how the 2014 midterm elections will impact public policy moving forward. While there is no clear consensus on precisely what to expect on Capitol Hill, in state legislatures, and in local jurisdictions across the country, there are pressing issues that will no doubt warrant elected officials’ attention.

Assuming President Obama wants a productive final two years in office, he will have no choice but to work with the Republicans who now run both houses of Congress. At the same time, leaders of the House and Senate likely want to prove they can govern – meaning they need to pass legislation the President can sign. With both parties incentivized to break the gridlock that has ground Washington to a halt in recent years, we may see them begin to stand up to their bases – to a certain extent. That’s good news for those who’ve been patiently waiting for legislative action on a host of significant issues.

That said, we see four issues on the federal agenda that could prove to be breeding grounds for consensus and movement in 2015: Infrastructure investment; immigration reform; corporate tax reform; and energy (particularly, the Keystone XL Pipeline).

http://vimeo.com/111657991