Published January 14, 2015
Highlights of what Congress has done — and has not done — this year.
Approved:
— $145.9 billion in 10-year tax cuts, including extension of the $1,000 child tax credit, 10 percent income tax bracket, breaks for married couples.
— $136 billion, 10-year corporate tax cut (search) measure.
— $14.5 billion in emergency aid for victims of hurricanes and other natural disasters and for farmers hit by drought, freezes and other emergencies.
— Initial request by President Bush for $2 billion in hurricane aid.
— $417.5 billion defense bill for the 2005 budget year, which began Oct. 1, including an initial $25 billion for military operations in Iraq (search) and Afghanistan (search).
— Bill making it double crime to injure or kill a pregnant woman and her fetus.
Still working on overhaul of intelligence agencies.
Refused to extend expired assault weapons ban.
Failed to:
— Produce a budget for the new fiscal year.
— Extend federal borrowing authority, which is about to hit its $7.4 trillion ceiling. Congress plans to deal with that during a lame-duck session after the November elections.
— Enact nine of the 13 annual spending bills for the new year. Leaders hope to complete them during the lame-duck session.
— Enact highway, welfare, energy, asbestos, medical liability (search), prescription drug reimportation bills; a constitutional amendment barring gay marriage; or a bill limiting class action lawsuits (search).
https://www.foxnews.com/story/congress-skips-several-tough-bills