×

Government funding, border wall await lame-duck Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress returns to a changed political landscape as newly elected lawmakers arrive in Washington, the parties elect new leadership and incumbents square off for one final legislative sprint before House Democrats take power.

Voters swept away eight years of House Republican control in last week’s election, creating a new political dynamic that’s challenging President Donald Trump even before the new 116th Congress begins in January.

For their last act, Republicans will try to deliver on Trump’s promise to fund the border wall, which could spark a partial federal government shutdown in weeks. Newly emboldened Democrats are in no mood to cooperate over wall money. Instead, they’ll be pushing to protect special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe from acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, who has criticized the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

All sides must agree to a federal funding bill to prevent a partial government shutdown Dec. 7.

“House Democrats are anything but lame ducks,” Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi wrote Monday to colleagues, saying Democrats are “flying high and taking pride” in the greatest Democratic sweep of the House since the Watergate election of 1974. They picked up at least 32 seats, with several races still undecided.

Against this backdrop, dozens of new House lawmakers and a handful of new senators arrived for a whirlwind orientation session. They will take their official photos, meet colleagues and take what could prove to be the toughest vote of their early careers — electing their leadership.

Their majority lost, House Republicans will start the task of rebuilding. Retiring Speaker Paul Ryan will begin to transition out of power and next-in-line Kevin McCarthy of California is favored over conservative Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, a leader of the Freedom Caucus, to win the job of incoming minority leader in leadership elections Wednesday. GOP Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana is expected keep his spot unchallenged. And new to leadership will be Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, in the No. 3 position of conference chair.

Senators will also select their leaders, but few surprises are expected. On the Democratic side, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York is set to return as leader, even though the party lost several seats in the election.

Schumer suggested Democrats would use the lame-duck session to fight to protect special counsel. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said legislation to protect Mueller is “unnecessary” because the investigation is “not under threat.”

McConnell is poised to again lead Republicans, but term limits are pushing GOP Whip John Cornyn of Texas out of the No. 2 spot, making way for South Dakota Sen. John Thune to move up. Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso and Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri will round out the team, and Cornyn will still have a seat at McConnell’s table of counselors.

McConnell is also trying to add a female senator to a lower leadership spot, seeking to address the optics of having an all-male leadership slate in a year that brought a record number of women to Congress.

The biggest leadership race is Pelosi’s bid to return as the first female House speaker, a contest she says she’s “100 percent” confident she will win despite a public campaign by some incumbent and newly elected Democrats to oust her. Preliminary voting won’t unfold for House Democrats until after Thanksgiving.

Amid the leadership shuffle, lawmakers have several pieces of legislation they want to finish by year’s end, including a farm policy bill and legislation overhauling Congress’ handling of sexual harassment claims. The Senate will try to confirm more of Trump’s judicial and administrative nominees, including a vote this week on Michelle Bowman to be a member of the Federal Reserve’s board of governors.

But first they appeared headed toward a showdown over Trump’s wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump spent weeks ahead of the midterm election rallying fears over a migrant caravan heading toward the border and promised voters that Republicans would bring tougher border security.

House Republicans have already approved $5 billion for Trump’s wall, but in the Senate, where Republicans need Democratic support to prevent a filibuster, a bipartisan bill allocates $1.6 billion.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today