There has been lots of good economic news lately:

• The economy added 321,000 jobs in November, the most in one month since January 2012.
• The unemployment rate of 5.8% remains steady and is down from 7% in November 2013.
• The average hourly earnings for workers is up by 2.1% from a year earlier.
• Economic growth for the third quarter is up 3.9% from the previous quarter.
• The deficit for the 2014-2015 fiscal year was “only” 2.8% of GDP and is predicted by the Congressional Budget Office to drop to 2.6% for the current year.
• The price of a gallon of gasoline has dropped to $2.71 on average, its lowest level since 2010 and is still dropping.

The New York Times predicts that the “Brighter Economy Raises Odds of Action in Congress.”  Jason Furman, Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisors, is quoted as saying that “At least there will be less of a philosophical debate on infrastructure, tax reforms and expanding exports.  You can have that agenda because the economy is not in free fall.” These three items would make a great agenda for the 114^th Congress in the following way:

• Infrastructure. The continuing drop in the price of gasoline offers the opportunity to replenish the inadequately funded Highway Trust Fund in a fiscally responsible manner. Congress should raise the federal gasoline tax above its current 18 cents per gallon to a level which is sufficient to fund the entire federal share of highway construction and repair.

• Tax reform. Individual and corporate tax reform will give the economy a huge boost. The idea here is to lower tax rates in a revenue neutral way by closing loopholes and deductions.

• Expanding Exports. What’s needed here is to give the President fast track negotiating authority so that Congress has to vote any trade agreement up or down without modification. This is the only way to get other countries to make concessions.

Of course there are many other issues which need to be seriously addressed by the new Congress.  But relatively quick action on just these three less controversial items would be a great start!