Policy Prespectives

DC Updates

New Year, New Government, New EIS

Now that the holidays are over, Washington is coming alive with official rituals such as the swearing in of Congress today, the election of a Speaker (maybe), then certification of the presidential electoral votes in Congress on Monday (maybe), followed by the Inauguration two weeks later on January 20. And the President-elect has promised a flurry of activity  on “Day 1”—including withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization—followed by lots of Senate hearings focused on his various Cabinet picks.

Congress will also be busy filling committee assignments, and getting to work on an ambitious agenda at a time when House Republicans have an even slimmer majority than last year. Some Washington insiders predict that any major presidential initiatives will need to be passed in the next two years, after which there may well be divided political power following the midterm elections. Even before then, due to the politically divided GOP caucus, it’s likely that at least some Democrat votes will be needed to pass key legislation.

Yesterday was the start of a new WineAmerica-sponsored National Economic Impact Study of the Wine Industry by John Duhnam & Associates, a leading economic research firm which conducted similar studies in 2017 and 2022, with wine’s impact totaling $220 billion and $276 billion respectively. The detailed study not only measures national impact, but also for each of the 50 states. Wine’s economic impact is vital for public officials to know so they can help create a business climate friendly to our industry. The study should be done, and on our website, in the spring. Until then, check out the 2022 study here.