Democrats won a healthy majority in both chambers of Congress, but that won’t do them any good until Jan. 3. Meanwhile, Republicans still have almost 20 working days left in the current Congress. A lot could happen in 18 working days. But after nearly two years, the GOP has very little to show for it. Can the Republicans really be expected to use well the time they have left?
The Clock Is Ticking for the GOP
The 119th Congress returned Monday, Nov. 9, from yet another recess. They took so many this year, it seemed as if they spent more time out of session than in. And they still aren’t done; the House is scheduled to call it a year on Dec. 17 and the Senate a day later. But, of course, they’re going to take a break for Thanksgiving. As of Tuesday, Nov. 10, the House had 18 days officially scheduled to work – 18 out of 26 business days (if we take out Thanksgiving and Veterans Day).
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So, the clock is ticking. What are congressional Republicans doing now? If you thought they'd be taking one last shot at the president’s legislative agenda or even squaring away the federal spending bills that were put off until after the elections, think again. The highest priority for the GOP was deciding who will lead its minorities next year. So much more important, right?
Well, the leadership elections are done. On Tuesday, House Republicans opted for change, electing Jim Jordan of Ohio. Meanwhile, the Senate GOP decided to keep South Dakota’s John Thune.
Okay, so what’s next? Impeachment, evidently. On the very same day, a preliminary vote was held on the impeachment of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. It was backed by Democrats, of course, but it was introduced by outgoing Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Republicans – except for Massie – defeated the effort.
From SAVE to Spending – What Will and Won’t Get Done
Presumably now that those apparently critical issues have been sorted out, Congress will move on to real legislation. If you think that means the SAVE America Act will finally get passed, keep dreaming. Rather than passing full-year funding when the fiscal year ended, Congress passed a continuing resolution. It ends on Dec. 11.
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Congress could pass another continuing resolution to push the fight off into next year, but if they do, Republicans lose the advantage of their current majority and hand the power of the purse almost entirely over to Democrats. The main battle is over the $1.5 trillion in defense spending Trump wants – which Democrats would dearly love to deny him. Then there’s the Farm Bill to sort out.
Spending bills need 60 votes in the Senate, so Republicans can’t pass them alone; only part of Trump’s defense request could go through budget reconciliation, which bypasses the filibuster. And a filibuster would certainly come. Democrats opposed GOP versions of all these measures already, and the 2026 midterm results only give them more reason to try to kick the can on past Jan. 3.
If the spending bills get passed – or even just another stopgap measure – it’ll likely eat up most if not all the working days between now and then. Big headline-grabbing legislation like the SAVE Act? Don’t hold your breath.
