5 issues facing Congress that are even tougher than the sequester

They weren't successful at preventing automatic spending cuts, and now, bigger issues loom

The challenges just keep piling up for John Boehner and Co.
(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Members of Congress snuck out of Washington just as automatic across-the-board spending cuts took effect, and no one is quite sure what happens next. But when lawmakers return they'll find at least five pressing matters that require their immediate attention.

1. Gun control: The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to take up several proposals pushed by President Obama including enhanced background checks, an assault weapons ban, and a gun trafficking measure. There appears to be some agreement on background checks, but Democrats are less optimistic on the other measures.

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Taegan Goddard

Taegan D. Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political websites. He also runs Wonk Wire and the Political Dictionary. Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and COO of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. senator and governor. Goddard is also co-author of You Won — Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country, including The Washington Post, USA TodayBoston Globe, San Francisco ChronicleChicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Christian Science Monitor. Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.