What to expect in Congress this week

What to expect in Congress this week Lawmakers are back in Congress on Monday for the first time since Republicans received a shellacking in the midterm elections. Here’s what to expect this week on Capitol Hill, as the GOP attempts to carry out as much of President Donald Trump’s agenda as it can before Democrats take over the House and the Senate in January. Among other things, congressional Republicans hope to send the Pentagon more money, advance some long-stagnating permitting changes, and avert a government shutdown before the year is over. But first, the House will probably face an effort by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the war with Iran. If Massie files his resolution on Monday, as expected, votes to impeach Hegseth could take place as late as Wednesday. Also, Republicans in both chambers will elect their leadership for the next Congress on Tuesday. In the House, two longtime rivals — Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) — are vying to take over from Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), who said last week that he would not seek to stay on as minority leader. In the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) will run for minority leader. And amid all this activity, dozens of newly elected lawmakers will be attending freshman orientation events in and around the U.S. Capitol for the next two weeks.