The Road Ahead 1-8-25

On 1-3-25, Mike Johnson was re-elected Speaker of the House. He can now certify the 2024 election and President Trump will be sworn in on 1-20-25.  The Senate will begin meetings with Trump’s Nominees for Cabinet and High-Level position that require Consent Votes to Confirm the nominations for position that require Confirmation on 1-18-25. In the interim, the Republican House and Senate will work on up-coming legislation. Trump continues to nominate Candidates whose jobs do not require Confirmation. 

The Senate requires 60 votes to cut debate and move the Bill to a vote. If Democrats want to stop the vote, they can. There are 56 Republicans plus the Vice President in the Senate. If Republicans can get 3 Democrats to move the Bill to a vote, they can pass the Bill with 51 votes. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/filibuster-explained

Republicans would like to extent the Tax Cuts in the first CR to fund the government from April to October in 2025, but if Republicans include the HR2 Border Bill in the CR, Democrats will likely Filibuster the Bill and prevent it from moving to a vote. Trump can close the border by Executive Order on 1-20-25 and should not include HR2 in this package unless Mike Johnson can find 3 Democrats who will take the Bill to a vote. If not, the HR2 Border Bill should be passed by the Senate in October 2025. Trump needs to pass his Tax Cut packages in April to be retroactive to include cuts to be effective in January 2025.

The Private Sector needs to use technology to improve quality and productivity. Automation and Lean Manufacturing provide the answers. The Federal Government needs to upgrade its computer systems to improve data accuracy and cyber-defense.

The first order of business is to reduce the cost of government using the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. They are in the “discovery” portion of this review. They will recommend the end of “work from home” initiated during COVID by the Biden Administration. Trump will use withholding of Federal Dollars to States, Counties and Cities to eliminate “sanctuary” status of these governments. Trump will use Tariffs to restore “reciprocal trade” with other countries and increase border integrity in Mexico and Canada. Trump will end the construction of wind and solar and allow power companies to build natural gas plants. and will allow AI generating companies to build and operate their own nuclear power plants.

They are likely to use AI and recommend upgrading government computer systems to improve the accuracy of government data and cyber security of databases. They are likely to merge “consumer protection agencies and integrate agency activities to reduce unnecessary duplication. They are likely to eliminate grants to States for non-critical infrastructure. They are likely to recommend decreasing foreign aid. They will lower corporate taxes from 21% to 15% to increase manufacturing jobs in the US. Trump will end funding for the Climate Change Hoax. Congress should end the use of 2000 page “Omnibus Bills” and appropriating funds in 10-year tranches. Congress should reassume control of regulations and not allow regulations to be imposed without their concurrence.

They should lower campaign costs and encourage corporations to redirect cash to fund their own automation,

technology development and product improvement. They need to end campaign TV “hit jobs” and replace them with Candidate Websites that must include their positions on all issues, their full vetted resumes, their political party and their votes on Bills and for Judges their determinations on Court Cases. 

The U.S. Congress passed a second Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend federal spending and avert a government shutdown through March 14, 2025. They should pass the next Individual Income Tax Reduction and a higher Debt Ceiling for the rest of FY-2025 to cover April 2025 through September 2025. This should end passing Continuing Resolutions, 10-Year Funding and Government Shutdowns. The goal should be to reduce Federal Spending from $6.5 trillion to $4 trillion with the FY2026 Budget to cover October 2026 to September 2027. Reforming our Immigration System is not a priority for FY2025 and should be scheduled for FY2026.

We do need a Federal Law to limit government funding for Education in the States to move the curriculum to Occupational Standards, otherwise Democrat States will continue the Liberal Indoctrination.

Increasing oil and natural gas production is critical to be able to lower prices. Increased supply will lower gasoline, fertilizer and transportation costs and will result in lower gasoline, food, electricity and heating costs.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader