What’s Next in Washington? – October 2022 Edition

The 2022 Midterm Elections are a little over one month away and the races are tightening up. Democrats have seen their fortunes improve with a string of legislative victories and improving poll numbers for President Joe Biden. Republicans have continued to message on economic concerns and see a favorable electoral map as their key to victory. As the final sprint begins, we’ve provided an overview of the most competitive House, Senate, and Gubernatorial races this election cycle. We have also provided an update on government funding, energy permitting, and FDA User Fee reauthorization.

See below for greater detail on key issues and more of what’s to come in this month’s edition of What’s Next in Washington? presented by the Foley & Lardner Federal Public Affairs team.

House, Senate, and Gubernatorial race ratings come from FiveThirtyEight Election Forecasts and Cook Political Report.

Previewing Competitive House Races

Democrats currently control the House of Representatives 221 – 212. After losing seats in the 2020 election, Democrats held on to a slim majority in the House. Republicans need to net five seats in the House to flip control. Listed in alphabetical order below are the most competitive House races in the 2022 cycle. Key events, including that of inflation and economic concerns, in addition to the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, have pushed many races into the “Toss-up” category. Additionally, one of the most the key states that will determine control of the House is California. California has multiple toss-up and close races that could result in seat pick-ups for each party. You can learn more about the California House races here.

Previewing Competitive Senate Races

The Senate is currently held by the Democrats in a 50-50 split, with Vice President Kamala Harris as the tie breaking vote. Below are the 10 most competitive races this cycle listed in alphabetic order. Key 2020 election swing states, including Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, all have a seat up for election. Republicans need to net only one seat to flip the Senate in their control. While Democrats see retiring Republican incumbents in Biden-won states as their keys to retaining the upper chamber.

Gubernatorial Race Outlook

Listed in order of most competitive, 12 Governor races are highlighted below. A total of 36 governorships are up for election in 2022. Democrats are anticipated to pick up two governorships in solid-Democrat states, Gov. Charlie Baker (R) of Massachusetts is retiring and Gov. Larry Hogan (R) of Maryland is term limited.

Congress Passes Short-Term Funding Bill

With hours to spare, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through December 16^th, 2022.  This bill temporarily extends FY-2022 funding levels for anything funded through the appropriations process. In addition, and among other provisions, this bill:

• Provides $12 billion in emergency assistance for Ukraine.
• Injects $18 billion into FEMA’s disaster relief fund for various states recovering from natural disasters across the country (Florida, Alaska, and Puerto Rico).
• Includes $2 billion in Community Development Block Grants to help communities recovering from major disasters.
• Extends several HHS and Veterans Affairs programs.
• Reauthorizes the FDA’s user fees relating to drugs, devices, generic drugs, biosimilar biological products, and various other programs and grants.

It is also important to note what is absent from this CR. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) withdrew his energy permitting overhaul proposal, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022, because it was an issue of contention for members in both parties. Majority Leader Schumer had previously agreed to allow this to be included in the CR in order to gain Manchin’s vote for the Inflation Reduction Act.  This may again get put on the table for discussion during the lame duck session.  You can read more about Manchin’s proposal here.

The short-term funding bill reauthorizes user fee programs, but unlike previous user fee packages, it does not include any of the policy riders that were included in the House’s Food and Drug Amendments of 2022 or the Senate’s FDA Safety and Landmark Advancements Act of 2022.  It is yet to be determined which of the stripped policy riders will be included in an omnibus package at the end of the year. You can read more about reauthorization here.

After passing the CR, Leader Schumer announced that the Senate would not reconvene until the second week of November, thus canceling two weeks of October session. The House is not scheduled to return until the third week of November.

The Foley Federal Public Affairs team will have in-depth coverage of the 2022 Midterms Elections. We will be tracking all House, Senate, and Gubernatorial elections in addition to any changes in Committee Chairs or party leadership. You can learn more about the 2022 Midterm Elections here.

The Foley & Lardner Federal Public Affairs team has spent years working in and around government cultivating relationships and gaining expertise in a variety of issue areas.  Our insights are largely based on discussions we have with key players in the Executive and Legislative branches, including inside the Oval Office, at relevant agencies, and with congressional leadership on both sides of the aisle.  Learn more about us here.