Lawmakers are returning to Capitol Hill for a significant lame-duck session, facing a tight deadline to pass government funding before a potential shutdown and a host of other legislative priorities. The current federal funding expires on December 11, presenting an immediate challenge for Congress to reach an agreement.
Republicans, having lost control of the House, must also navigate leadership races. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is running unopposed for the minority leader role, while the House GOP is deciding between Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan for their next minority leader.
Beyond the funding bill, Congress has a lengthy agenda. Key items include the farm bill, which sets national food and agriculture policy, and legislation to modernize the country's transportation infrastructure. A bipartisan tax package is also on the table, as is the looming debt ceiling deadline, which is expected to surface in January.
Some Republicans expressed mixed optimism about the session's productivity. "It can be. It should be," said Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind. "But my faith in some of my Senate colleagues is not real high, because I feel like they have a personal vendetta towards the president, and it's more about that than it is about passing legislation." Others, like Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas, noted that significant preparatory work has been done on important, often bipartisan, bills.
Democrats, buoyed by midterm election gains, expect House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to assume the speaker role. Their leadership elections are scheduled for the week after the Republican contests.
"It’s going to feel like a funeral," Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital, reflecting on the departure of many Republican members. "It’s depressing even for those of us who won, because we lost so many good, quality members."
Efforts are also underway to pass the SAVE America Act, focused on election security, which Republicans aim to advance through budget reconciliation to bypass Democratic support. Senator Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has been involved in structuring the package, though he acknowledged that the political will to finish it might be affected by recent election outcomes.
Permitting reform, another potential legislative item, faces uncertainty regarding Democratic support after a recent White House deal concerning wind projects. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., wryly commented on the volume of work, stating, "First thing we need to do is make a motion to add a 13th month to the calendar, because we've got so much stacked up to do that's really important for the country."