Late last week, the U.S. Senate passed a budget resolution that includes budget reconciliation instructions directing the development of legislation to increase spending on border security and national defense. The budget resolution passed 52-48 with Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) joining all 47 Democrats in opposition. As we reported in last week’s newsletter, the Senate resolution does not include reconciliation instructions to the Finance Committee to develop legislation extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, despite President Trump’s stated preference for a single package that contains defense, border security, tax cuts, and other priorities. Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-SC) stated on the Senate floor last week that the Senate resolution should be seen as a backup plan, should the House not succeed in passing a single, unified package.
The House Budget Committee passed its version of the budget resolution earlier this month, and the full House is expected to take it up this week. WateReuse has been working since early last year to secure a federal investment tax credit (ITC) to help scale up the use of recycled water by manufacturers, data centers, and other industrial entities. We continue to push for the ITC to be included in the upcoming reconciliation package. If your organization is interested in helping with this effort, please reach out to Greg Fogel, WateReuse Policy Director, at gfogel@watereuse.org. | 
