News: Congress’ mad dash before year’s end

Monday, December 2, 2024

Congress’ mad dash before year’s end

Dec 02, 2024

Presented by

With help from Oriana Pawlyk

Quick fix

— Committee chair races, reconciliation and disaster funding: Congress has a jam-packed three weeks. We break it down.

— A host of Biden-era regulations and planned rules could be in the Trump administration’s crosshairs next year, including DOT efforts to boost protections for plane passengers.

— Several airline executives are set to be grilled over ancillary fees at a Senate hearing this week. Here’s who will testify, and what to expect.

IT’S MONDAY: You’re reading Morning Transportation, your Washington policy guide to everything that moves. We’re glad you’re here. Send tips, feedback and song lyrics to Sam at sogozalek@politico.com, Chris at cmarquette@politico.com, Oriana at opawlyk@politico.com and Cassandra at cdumay@politico.com and follow us at @SamOgozalek, @ChrisMarquette_, @Oriana0214 and @cassandra_dumay.

“Oh, we got some places to see/ I brought all the maps with me/ So jump in, it ain’t no sin/ Take a ride in my machine.”

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A message from the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l:

Air travel is exponentially safer with two pilots. From takeoff to landing, pilots guarantee that every flight is in good hands. This holiday season, trust two highly trained, qualified pilots on the flight deck to work together to ensure you arrive safely at your destination. Learn why safety starts with two.

Driving the Week

THE CLOCK IS TICKING: Lawmakers return to Capitol Hill this week, and it’s shaping up to be a busy lame duck as they close out the 118th Congress and await President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Here’s what your MT team will be monitoring in December:

— Who will take committee gavels? The House Steering Committee is set, and members are expected to vote this month on who will chair the Transportation Committee and other panels. Current T&I Chair Rep. Sam Graves’ (R-Mo.) waiver bid is still alive as he seeks to remain atop the committee, and Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) is making his case on why he deserves the gavel. Crawford is chair of T&I’s highways and transit subcommittee. On the Senate side, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) are in line to head the Commerce and Environment and Public Works Committees, respectively.

— Reconciliation is still a wild card. The GOP is starting to game plan how to use the budget process to quickly push through Trump’s economic agenda, like big tax cuts, but the details remain unclear. Eleanor Mueller notes that House Speaker Mike Johnson’s staff met early last week with those of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and McConnell’s successor, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), to begin strategizing.

— The disaster aid saga continues. Lawmakers are putting together a bipartisan package to address a range of catastrophes, including the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge and Hurricanes Helene and Milton. They aim to wrap it up before Christmas. Congress hasn’t moved a comprehensive disaster aid package since 2022, and several requests from the Biden administration, including a $4 billion ask for the bridge rebuild, await funding. Appropriators are expected to address the Dali container ship incident, which brought down the bridge, before year’s end. But the open question? Whether they include language that would allow for a 100 percent federal cost share instead of the typical 90 percent.

AND THEN THERE’S “DOGE”: Johnson announced in an X post Wednesday that Tesla CEO Elon Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, leaders of the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency,” or “DOGE,” will participate in a Thursday discussion with House and Senate Republicans, where they’ll chat about “major reform ideas to achieve regulatory rescissions, administrative reductions, and cost savings—& revive the principle of limited government!” Johnson wrote.

At the Agencies

WHAT WILL BE TARGETED: The incoming Trump administration has vowed to slash regulations — so Chris and Oriana took a look at which Biden-era DOT rules, finalized or proposed, are among the most vulnerable. The list of seven includes:

— The agency’s airline fee transparency regulation, which is on hold due to a lawsuit from carriers.

— FRA’s two-person staffing rule for trains — which freight railroads oppose.

— NHTSA fuel efficiency standards, known as CAFE, which Republicans blast as a de-facto electric vehicle mandate.

Want to know what's really happening with Congress's make-or-break spending fights? Get daily insider analysis of Hill negotiations, funding deadlines, and breaking developments - free in your inbox with Inside Congress. Subscribe now.

Aviation

FEES IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The Senate Homeland Security Committee’s investigations panel will hold a hearing Wednesday on airlines’ ancillary fees. A recent report from the subcommittee, which the industry blasted, found that American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines collectively generated over $12 billion in revenue from seat fees between 2018 and last year. Here are the executives scheduled to testify at the 10 a.m. hearing in Dirksen 342, which is bound to see fireworks:

— Steve Johnson, American’s vice chair and chief strategy officer; Peter Carter, Delta’s chief external affairs officer; Andrew Nocella, United’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer; Robert Schroeter, Frontier’s senior vice president and chief commercial officer; and Matthew Klein, Spirit’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer. Expect sharp questions from the subcommittee’s chair, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).

SO FAR, SO GOOD: The FAA said Friday it safely moved over 232,000 flights across the country between Nov. 24 and Thanksgiving, a record for the holiday. Only 0.3 percent of flights were canceled, and delays affected 1.2 percent of flights (also a record). The agency said it is ready for high flight volumes through Monday.

A message from the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l:

At the Agencies

IT’S COMPLICATED: Some lawyers are skeptical that companies would benefit from Musk and Ramaswamy’s plan to pause federal regulations — or even want it, Jean Chemnick reports for POLITICO’s E&E News. Trump’s agencies will have discretion over whether they enforce various rules, making it tough for outside groups to sue those officials for not taking action over alleged violations. But such protections won’t apply to companies themselves, lawyers say, leaving them vulnerable to lawsuits from citizens — and potential damages. “The only way to reduce the regulatory burden is to actually change the regulations,” said Jeff Holmstead, a former EPA air chief under President George W. Bush.

Transit

SAFETY PLAN REQUEST: FRA is seeking public comments by Dec. 17 on an Amtrak request to amend its agency-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plan. The change concerns the railroad’s Onboard Computer Serial platform and Fusion software release. Details can be found here.

SPOTTED: Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner was playing bass with his old band Lorelei during a reunion show Saturday night at the Black Cat in Washington, D.C. (h/t Bob King)

Don't just read headlines—guide your organization's next move. POLITICO Pro's comprehensive Data Analysis tracks power shifts in Congress, ballot measures, and committee turnovers, giving you the deep context behind every policy decision. Learn more about what POLITICO Pro can do for you.

The Autobahn

— “After Stowaway Found, Delta Investigates Flight From New York to Paris.” New York Times.

— “How China Became the World’s Largest Car Exporter.” New York Times.

— “C.E.O. of Stellantis, Owner of Chrysler and Jeep, Resigns.” New York Times.

— “China Has a New Playbook to Counter Trump: ‘Supply Chain Warfare.’” New York Times.

— “It’s Not Your Imagination. Airlines Are Padding Flight Times.” New York Times.

— “Chinese Automakers Tell Suppliers to Cut Costs as Price War Deepens.” New York Times.

— “Frequent Fliers Are Rethinking Loyalty Programs and Setting Themselves Free.” New York Times.

— “Battle of the Mega-Ships? A European Behemoth Heads to the Caribbean.” New York Times.

— “Electric car sales are slowing in the US and Europe as both fans and skeptics share concerns.” AP.

— “Southwest Airlines to end cabin service earlier on flights to reduce chance of injury.” AP.

— “Trump’s tariffs could cost carmakers up to 17% of combined core profits, S&P says.” Reuters.

— “Hyundai to recall over 226,000 vehicles in US over rear view camera display concerns.” Reuters.

— “Emirates Airline says ‘wings clipped’ by Boeing delays.” Reuters.

— “UK Backs Down From EV Sales Mandate Carmakers Won’t Meet.” Bloomberg.

— “Stellantis Keeps Slashing Car Output in Italy Over EV Slump.” Bloomberg.

— “One U.S. Port Wants a Bigger Payday From Surging Ocean Trade.” Wall Street Journal.

— “For EV Startups, Things Are Going From Bad to Worse.” Wall Street Journal.

— “Volkswagen Workers to Begin Striking Monday, Union Says.” Wall Street Journal.

— “Volkswagen Sells Controversial Xinjiang Factory in China.” Wall Street Journal.

— “Metro adopts bus route redesigns for Northern Virginia areas.” Virginia Mercury.

— “Coal dust blankets schools, homes in shadow of Baltimore port — study.” POLITICO Pro.

A message from the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l:

One big reason why U.S. air travel is the most trusted mode of transportation during the holiday season? Two pilots on the flight deck. Research shows that one person cannot fly a commercial airliner safely, even with the latest advances in technology, navigation, communications and weather monitoring. Learn why this safety requirement should never change.