Week of Key Developments as Congress Returns to Capitol Hill

As lawmakers reconvene in Washington, various significant matters are expected to dominate the week’s agenda. Newly elected Democratic Senators Annie Andrews, James Talarico, and Troy Jackson are set to attend an orientation meeting at the Capitol on Monday. This week marks the return of Congress after Republicans faced substantial losses in the midterm elections. With Democrats poised to assume control of both the House and Senate in January, the GOP is working to push through as much of President Donald Trump’s agenda as possible.

GOP Agenda Before Transition

Republican lawmakers aim to secure additional funding for the Pentagon, implement long-delayed permitting changes, and avert a government shutdown before year’s end. One of the first tasks involves a likely attempt by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth concerning the conflict with Iran. If Massie files his resolution on Monday, the House could vote on Hegseth’s impeachment as late as Wednesday.

In addition, Republicans in both the House and Senate will select their future leadership on Tuesday. In the House, Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) are competing to succeed Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), who has decided not to remain as minority leader. Over in the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) will be running for the minority leader position.

President Trump’s Post-Election Reactions

Nearly a week after the Democrats regained majorities in both congressional houses, President Donald Trump expressed skepticism about the election outcomes. On social media, he questioned the credibility of the voting process and suggested without substantiation that voting machines were flawed. Public opinion polls had indeed anticipated significant Democratic gains, but Trump continues to claim election inconsistencies.

Expansion of College Football Playoff

In college sports, significant changes are underway with the College Football Playoff set to expand to 24 teams starting next season. ESPN, which broadcasts the event, revealed that the regular season will begin a week earlier and end on Thanksgiving weekend, eliminating the Power 4 conference championships. ESPN is expected to pay an additional $1.7 billion over five years to air the expanded playoff.

Rediscovery of Historic Martin Luther King Jr. Document

The sole known handwritten draft of Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech will soon be on public display for the first time and auctioned in January. The draft was held by King’s public relations chief, Edward T. Clayton, and was found by Clayton’s widow in the late 1990s. This important document is anticipated to sell for upwards of $10 million at auction.