January 2018 marked the beginning of year two of the Trump Presidency and the second session of the 115th Congress. Congress came back into session on January 3 after recessing for the December holidays. With the passage of tax reform at the end of December, Congress started the year needing to come to an agreement on funding the government through September 2018. The current funding expired on January 19, which led to a three day government shutdown that was resolved by extending the continuing resolution through February 8.

The tense negotiations during the government shutdown, along with the approach of the mid-term elections in November 2018, may complicate major legislative priorities such as infrastructure and reauthorization of the Farm Bill. Although President Trump has not formally released his infrastructure plan, a publically available version of the document suggests a strong focus on private and local infrastructure investment through grants, as well as incentives to bolster investment in rural areas. The formal plan from the administration is expected to be released in the next several weeks.