Congress Returns With Four Leadership Fights and a Dec. 11 Shutdown Deadline
The lame-duck session opens with House Republicans picking new leaders after their midterm losses, a stalled spending package, and Massie's push to force an impeachment vote on Hegseth.
Congress returned to Washington on Monday for a lame-duck sprint with an unusually crowded agenda: new leadership elections in both parties, a government funding deadline on Dec. 11, and a possible House vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
House Republicans vote Tuesday on their next leaders after Speaker Mike Johnson stepped aside. Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan are competing to lead the party as minority leader. Rep. August Pfluger is challenging Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and conference chair Lisa McClain faces Erin Houchin and Greg Steube. House Democrats vote the following week, with Hakeem Jeffries expected to become speaker, Katherine Clark majority leader and Pete Aguilar whip, each running unopposed.
Senate Republicans are scheduled to vote Tuesday morning, but Sen. Ron Johnson is pushing for a delay. His letter to Sen. Tom Cotton needs at least five signatures, and supporters include Sens. John Kennedy, Mike Lee, Rick Scott and Dave McCormick. Johnson said holding leadership votes without discussion would be "political malpractice," and added, "there's no reason to rush." Majority Leader John Thune is still widely expected to win another term. Senate Democrats hold their elections in early December.
The bigger test is money. Current funding expires Dec. 11, and lawmakers must pass 12 annual appropriations bills or another extension. Rep. Rosa DeLauro wants all 12 bills passed and said, "No one wants a continuing resolution that goes through next year." Some Democrats may try to block funding for the Iran war, which could risk a shutdown. The annual defense policy bill also faces an end-of-year deadline.
Rep. Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth in September, and the vote was delayed until November. He plans to force a vote when Congress returns unless Hegseth resigns, in which case he said he would not reintroduce them. House Oversight Chairman James Comer, a Republican, said, "We have no idea what the strategy is moving forward in Iran."
Republicans are also weighing a third party-line budget bill. The House is pushing ahead, but Thune said, "It's an option, but it takes 50 votes, which right now we don't have." Hegseth wants at least $350 billion in Pentagon funding in it. Senate Republicans also want to confirm Trump's administration and judicial nominees before Democrats can block them.
With Democrats set to take control of the House in January, the lame-duck session is Republicans' last chance to move legislation with unified control of both chambers and the White House. That raises the stakes on the funding fight: if lawmakers cannot agree on a path by Dec. 11, they risk a shutdown or a stopgap that hands the incoming Congress its first spending decisions.
