The budget will be one of the first things the new Congress takes up, according to leadership on both sides of Capitol Hill. The Defense Department is already starting its push to end — or at least cut back on mdash; sequestration. James Jay Carafano is director of the Davis Institute for International Studies at the Heritage Foundation. He shared his Top 3 for 2015 on In Depth with Francis Rose. He says he thinks Congress will do a real defense budget in 2015, but that doesn’t mean sequestration will go away.

1. Washington will do a real defense budget for 2016. Find common cause left and right to spare Pentagon cuts and find a way to bump budgets above mandatory sequester caps.
2. The White House and Congress will spar over foreign policy. President Barack Oama will want a deal with Iran and an executive action to lift the embargo on Cuba. Congress will have none of it.
3. Action on energy will be a priority. Congress and the White House will agree on a bill to promote U.S. energy exports.

In our special radio report, Top 3 for 2015, federal experts tell In Depth host Francis Rose what top three concepts, trends or priorities they believe will be important in 2015.

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