Leaders predict further action in January on a slimmed–down bill

Jan 1, 2022

Congress moved into late December without final action on a section of the Local Journalism Sustainability Act that would provide tax credits to support newsroom payrolls. The LJSA section became part of President Biden’s Build Back Better Act in the House, which passed the larger bill on Nov. 19.

But the BBB has hit snags in the Senate, where Republicans have said they are united in opposing the larger legislation and Democrats have not found consensus on major pieces of the BBB, such as maintaining the child tax credit and restoring deductions for local and state taxes.

Although the Senate Majority Leader had vowed passage before Dec. 31, some leaders predicted further action in January on a slimmed–down bill. The LJSA section has been estimated as a $1.6 billion cost on an overall bill costing more than $2 trillion.