CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) - This is my last Conley Commentary of 2024. I'll be on vacation for the rest of the year.
So, through a sometimes cloudy crystal ball, here's what I expect in the new year.
There's one part of Donald Trump's agenda that I think will go bust - it's DOGE. Streamlining our government and eliminating waste is a laudable goal. But spending is a bipartisan activity in Washington. Trump will be able to cut discretionary spending that he has direct control over. Anything that has to go through Congress won't happen. How many federal departments will he eliminate: Zero.
What will get done? Under reconciliation, where only a 51 vote majority is needed in the U.S. Senate, Trump will get two major victories early in his presidency. With bare majorities the expiring tax cuts will be extended, or made permanent, and there will be funding for more border wall construction.
What about mass deportation? The United States removed 400,000 illegal immigrants in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Let's imagine Donald Trump is wildly successful and doubles those numbers. Even if a million-people are deported each year, there are 12- to 14-million illegals who came into the country during the Biden Administration. Reversing the tide is important, but there are some bad policy decisions that aren't easily undone.
I believe Wausau mayor Doug Diny will be criminally indicted for removing an unsecured, not-yet-in-use absentee ballot drop box. The Attorney General wants to run for governor, and prosecuting a Republican mayor will be a part of his resume.