Congress has entered its five-week “lame-duck session,” the period between November elections and the beginning of a new Congress in January.
Lame-duck legislative priorities:
Appropriators are hoping to wrap up the final fiscal year 2027 spending bills. Funding talks are on a tight timeline before the December 11 deadline when stopgap funding is set to expire. No one wants another government shutdown, but some Democrats, pointing to their significant victories and upcoming leverage, say they should focus on ending the Iran war before agreeing to any final funding deal.
Meanwhile, Republicans are hoping to make progress on President Trump’s $1.5 trillion defense spending request, a tall order considering the limited time frame. Republicans are in their final stretch of opportunity to push through priority bills before they lose their majority, including talks of a filibuster-proof reconciliation bill which would boost defense spending. However, with only five weeks of session left, a reconciliation bill would be tough to pass through both chambers, especially as Republican attendance is critical. Republicans who have just lost reelection bids, were pushed out by Trump, or are retiring may have less motivation to return for the lame-duck session.
Too Close to Call:
Votes continue to be counted in several consequential races across the country. In Mississippi, the Democratic Senate nominee Scott Colom is holding a narrow lead over incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola holds a narrow lead over Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. Winning both seats would bump the Democratic majority up to 56 seats.
New Members Arrive:
Incoming members are arriving for orientation, and leadership elections are beginning in both parties. Republicans hold their leadership elections tomorrow. Speaker Mike Johnson has said he won’t run for House minority leader, clearing the path for a fight between Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan.
Democratic leadership elections are scheduled for next week. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is expected to run for House speaker, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is expected to be elected as Senate majority leader. There have been calls for new leadership, but so far no clear opponents have emerged.
Major White House Shake-Up:
In the aftermath of the midterms, President Trump has ousted his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, and replaced her with Stephen Miller. Miller is best known for orchestrating the administration’s immigration and deportation program.
Agency Departures:
High-profile resignations are expected to ramp up as heads of agencies face the prospect of intense oversight investigations from Congress. Harmeet Dhillon, chief of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, resigned last Thursday. Dhillon was a key player in the Trump administration’s attacks on higher education, as she opened several investigations and lawsuits against universities over admissions practices, free-speech policies, and anti-DEI initiatives.
What we’re reading this week:
What a Democratic Congress Could Mean for Science – The New York Times