Congress: The Senate & The House

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Congress Clocks In

The 119th Congress resumed yesterday for the first time since last week’s wave of Democratic victories (see latest). Republicans have five scheduled legislative weeks left before losing control of both houses in January.  Chief among Republican priorities is to pass a funding bill ahead of a Dec. 11 government shutdown deadline. Garnering support for the Pentagon’s annual policy bill amid an unpopular Iran war is also a priority. It also comes as outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R, KY-4) reintroduced a resolution yesterday to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on eight counts, including over his handling of the Iran war; a House vote could come as soon as this week. Massie separately predicts he will amass the 218 signatures necessary to force floor action on the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files.  Separately, the Senate voted 73-25 yesterday to advance a measure to speed up approval of data center development. Americans voted overwhelmingly last week to restrict data center construction through dozens of ballot initiatives (see the one place that didn't).

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GOP chooses leaders

House Republicans picked Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as their minority leader for the new Congress, signaling they’re ready for all-out battle against Democrats in 2027. John Thune of South Dakota was reelected as Senate leader. Follow live updates.

🐘 Who is Jim Jordan? New leader has history as combative Trump defender

+ Analysis: A deep dive into the articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth ps:I can't believe that the GOP could get any stupider, but they did just that!!!!! Dreams, desks and selfies: Newly elected members of Congress learn their way around Rep.-elect LaKesha Womack, a community organizer who stunned her own Democratic Party by defeating a well-known North Carolina Republican on her shoestring $56,000 campaign budget, said she's excited to arrive in Washington and show what's possible. Read More.   Pete Hegseth impeachment effort blocked by House Republicans WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Tuesday turned aside a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, halting an effort to remove the Pentagon chief for his conduct in office and his handling of the war in Iran. https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-impeachment-briefing-trump-massie-87a78193502f716e6fb8eee5aef06ac0?

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🏛️ House GOP's power struggle

House Republicans will choose a new leader this morning after last week's devastating election losses, Axios' Kate Santaliz writes.

• Why it matters: Majority Leader Steve Scalise (La.) and Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (Ohio) will headline the battle for control of what's left of the Republican conference — with every other top position also up for grabs.

Scalise is pitching himself as the steady hand who can lead Republicans back to the majority, leaning on his decade of experience in leadership.

• Jordan is casting himself as the candidate for change, tapping into frustration among Republicans who believe last week's devastating losses demand a shake-up at the top.

👂 What we're hearing: Scalise allies are increasingly confident heading into today's vote, with Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) arguing that calls to delay the leadership elections are a sign that Jordan's supporters don't have the votes.