WASHINGTON — Congress returns to a changed Washington as President-elect Donald Trump’s far-right agenda quickly takes shape, backed by enthusiastic Republican allies who envision a complete check on power at the Capitol while Democrats try to sort out what didn’t work.
Even as final election results are still being counted, House and Senate leaders are moving toward a second Trump term in the White House and what he calls a “mandate” to govern, complete with expulsions massive scale-ups, deregulation of industry and complete removal of the federal government. .
Trump is already testing governance standards during this presidential transition period — telling the Senate to abandon its advice-and-consent role and simply accept his Cabinet nominees — and he is strengthening his administration and finding willing lawmakers to circumvent these civic traditions.
“Trump is going to do his deportations, the drilling, the wall — it’s going to take all of us coming together,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a conservative member of the House Freedom Caucus.
But first, House and Senate leaders will hold intra-party elections this week for their own jobs. Most top Republican leaders depend on Trump for their political sustenance and have worked to become closer to the president-elect to strengthen their loyalty.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is poised to hold on to a slim majority in the House with several House elections still too early to call, will gather his leadership team early Tuesday on the Capitol steps to a victory lap and agenda setting.
In the Senate, where Republicans took power from Democrats on election night, three Republican senators vying to become the new leader of the Republican Party rushed to endorse Trump’s plan to quickly confirm presidential nominees.
“As Congress returns to Washington, we must prepare the Senate to move this agenda forward legislatively and ensure that the President-elect can get on track with confirming his nominees as soon as possible,” the senator said. Republican John Thune of South Dakota, who is seeking a leadership position, wrote in a Fox News opinion piece.
All told, this is a fundamental overhaul not only of the power centers in Washington, but also of the rules of government, as Trump returns to the White House in January with a potential Republican Party-led Congress that is far less skeptical or suspicious of his approach than eight others. years ago, and much more willing to support it.
“This is going to be a very difficult time,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
She described the “horrible immigration policies” Trump promised voters and she insisted that congressional progressives would provide “effective oversight” of the new White House, much like Democrats have done during his first term fighting efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. and other policies.
At the same time, Jayapal warned that Trump would have “far fewer restrictions.”
“Our members are ready to get back into the fight,” she said, alongside a handful of newly elected progressive lawmakers she called “shining lights” joining Congress.
The first tests will take place during the “lame duck” period of the remaining days of this Congress, the eight-week sprint until Jan. 3, 2025, when new lawmakers will be sworn in.
As lawmakers return this week, they will be joined by dozens of new names in the House and Senate who are in town for freshman orientation weeks and private leadership elections scheduled for Wednesday.
But Republican senators were protesting that one of their own, newly elected Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania, had been excluded from orientation week by Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer because there was still uncounted ballots in his race. Schumer’s office had said it was standard practice to wait until all ballots were counted, but has since invited McCormick. Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, who won his race, was also invited.
The Senate leadership race to replace outgoing GOP leader Mitch McConnell is turning into a test of loyalty to Trump, with the president-elect’s allies — including billionaire Elon Musk and Make America Great Again influencers — pushing senators to elect Senator Rick Scott of Florida.
But Scott was not the most popular candidate for the leadership post, and senators rallied around the two “Johns”: Thune, the second-ranking GOP leader, and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. The outcome of Wednesday’s private vote behind closed doors is very uncertain.
In the House, some conservative Republicans are quietly suggesting that their own leadership elections should be postponed until the final results of the House elections are known. Democrats will hold their House and Senate elections later.
Johnson wants to keep the president’s gavel and told his colleagues in a letter last week that he was willing to “take the field” with them to implement Trump’s agenda. But he is expected to face his detractors behind closed doors.
While Johnson only needs a simple majority in Wednesday’s private vote to become the GOP nominee for president, he will need a majority of 218 members in January in a floor vote. the entire House.
A low vote total this week will show the leverage Freedom Caucus members and others have to extract concessions from Johnson, just as they forced then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy into a drawn-out vote for the hammer in 2023.
And while Johnson predicts that next year will usher in the “most consequential” presidency and Congress in modern times, he has struggled this year to lead Republicans who have refused to follow his plans, forcing the president to often associating with Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Johnson’s problems stem in part from his slim majority, but that could persist if Trump continues to tap House Republicans to fill out his administration. Trump has already tapped Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to be ambassador to the United Nations and Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to be his national security adviser.
“We’re about maxed out,” said Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas. “Everyone understands that.”
In the coming weeks, Congress faces another Dec. 20 deadline to fund the federal government or face shutdown, and conservatives are doubling down on Johnson to not give in to their demands for cuts. expenses.
The House and Senate will also consider replenishing the Disaster Relief Fund to help provide relief following Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
And as President Joe Biden prepares to leave and Democrats relinquish their hold on the Senate, there will be pressure to confirm more judicial nominees and to introduce any other bills that could potentially become law before Trump don’t take power.
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