Republicans want to prioritize China, taxes, abortion in new Congress

When a new party takes a majority in Congress, like Republicans are doing today, the first bills they introduce are meant to set their priorities for the next two years. In this case, it is also meant to send a message to the Biden administration as to where it can expect push back.

Here’s a look at what Republicans plan to bring forward in the first week of the 118th Congress:

Taxes

Republicans will bring up a bill to rescind $72 billion given to the IRS for tax enforcement under the Inflation Reduction Act. Republicans said that money would have funded the hiring of 87,000 new IRS agents and drastically increased the number of audits performed on middle class families. Democrats contend the money will go to wealthy tax cheats. 

China

House Republicans want to set up a select committee on strategic competition between the U.S. and China.

They will also try to ban selling oil from the U.S. strategic reserve to any entity that is owned, controlled or influenced by the Chinese Communist Party. In July of 2022, 5 million barrels from the U.S. strategic reserve, released to help lower prices in the U.S. were exported to Europe and Asia.

Immigration

The Border Safety and Security Act would give the Homeland Security Secretary the authority to deny migrants entry to achieve quote “operational control” of the border. They will also introduce a bill that would require the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to notify ICE and local law enforcement if an immigrant in the country illegally tries to buy a gun. 

Abortion

They’ll introduce a bill that requires healthcare providers to give medical treatment to any baby that survives an abortion. They also want to permanently codify the Hyde amendment which prohibits federal money from funding abortions.

Of course anything House Republicans pass needs to be approved by the Senate and signed by the president, so it’s unlikely any bills challenging the Democratic agenda will become law.