Congress Faces Funding Deadline and Impeachment Fight
The 119th Congress returned to Washington on November 9 for its final weeks under Republican control, with lawmakers facing a December 11 deadline to prevent federal funding from expiring. A short-term extension is considered the likeliest path, rather than completing the 12 annual spending bills, which would require time and political agreement that may be hard to find.
A House impeachment measure targeting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth could come to a vote as soon as Wednesday. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky introduced it, citing several charges, including that the administration did not properly consult Congress about the Iran war. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said he supported impeachment, and some Republicans have also indicated they want Hegseth gone.
The Senate is scheduled to hold a preliminary vote on Monday on a bipartisan energy-permitting measure. It needs 60 votes to advance, including support from some Democrats. President Donald Trump has urged senators to back it, arguing it would lower energy costs and require data centers to pay for their electricity use. The election has put the deal’s prospects in doubt.
Other unfinished business includes major defense and agricultural legislation, presidential nominations and possible votes on measures involving college sports and infrastructure. The annual defense authorization bill is also caught up in divisions over the Iran war. Some Democrats have signaled they could use government funding negotiations to press for an end to the conflict.
Republicans’ narrow majorities leave leaders vulnerable to absences or defections, particularly among lawmakers who lost their seats. House and Senate Republicans plan to select their leaders this week, while the incoming Congress is in Washington for orientation. Several House petitions that could force votes on immigration status and additional Epstein-related documents are also nearing the signatures required to advance.
Congress Returns With a Chance to Challenge the Iran War
The lame-duck Congress is back in Washington, and Democrats have a chance to use the final weeks of Republican control to demand accountability over the Iran war. A House vote on Rep. Thomas Massie’s impeachment measure against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth could come as soon as Wednesday. The charges include the administration’s failure to properly consult Congress about the military campaign.
Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has said he supports impeachment, and some Republicans have also signaled they want Hegseth out. The debate comes as Congress faces a December 11 deadline to keep the government funded. A short-term extension is the likeliest option, but Sen. Elizabeth Warren has declined to rule out using the negotiations to press the administration to end the war.
That is a meaningful point of leverage: lawmakers must decide whether routine funding should proceed while the conflict continues. The annual defense authorization bill is also entangled in the politics of the war, making it harder to treat military policy as business as usual.
The Senate is also set to consider an energy-permitting deal that needs 60 votes, including several Democrats. Trump has backed the measure, but the election has disrupted the incentives behind the bipartisan agreement. Other unfinished business includes major defense and agricultural legislation, nominations and potential votes on immigration status and additional Epstein-related documents.
With Republicans’ majorities narrow and some defeated lawmakers potentially absent, the final session could give Democrats greater ability to block measures they oppose. They will soon control both chambers; the question now is whether Republicans can push through their agenda without addressing the stakes of the war and the demands for oversight.
Lame-Duck Congress Risks Stalling Energy and Defense Priorities
Congress has returned to Washington with a short runway to handle essential business before Democrats take control of both chambers. The immediate task is preventing a funding lapse after the current measure expires on December 11. A temporary extension is likely, while the full set of annual spending bills appears out of reach.
A bipartisan energy-permitting deal is ready for a preliminary Senate vote, but it needs 60 votes and the election has unsettled the agreement’s prospects. Trump has urged senators to support it, saying it would reduce energy costs and ensure data centers pay for their electricity. Democrats now face a choice: cooperate on a measure that could move infrastructure projects forward, or let post-election politics derail it.
The agenda also includes major defense and agricultural legislation, presidential nominations and the annual defense authorization bill. That defense package is caught in disputes over the Iran war. Massie’s effort to impeach Hegseth could be put before the House as early as Wednesday, with Democrats expected to support the measure and some Republicans also signaling they want the secretary gone.
Narrow Republican margins make attendance and party unity crucial. Lawmakers who lost their reelection bids may be less inclined to follow party leaders, and even a few absences could complicate votes. House and Senate Republicans are selecting new leaders this week after a severe electoral setback.
Democrats will soon set the legislative agenda, but they still must decide whether to help keep government operating and advance bipartisan priorities in the meantime. The funding deadline is fixed; the ability to reach agreement is not.
Reported by The Daily Wire, LAist, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
