Congress Returns After Midterms for Lame-Duck Session With Leadership Elections and Dec. 11 Funding Deadline

Lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill on Monday for the first time since the midterm elections, which gave Democrats a slew of victories that will reshape the balance of power in the new year. Republicans, whose majorities end in January, face a lame-duck period in which they must choose new leaders and address government funding. Current federal funding runs out on Dec. 11, and without a new deal Congress risks another shutdown.

House and Senate Republicans hold leadership elections Tuesday. House Democrats vote the following week, and Senate Democrats choose leaders in early December. House Speaker Mike Johnson is stepping aside after the GOP's losses. Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Rep. Jim Jordan, the Judiciary Committee chairman, are competing for minority leader. Rep. August Pfluger is challenging Majority Whip Tom Emmer for minority whip, and Conference Chair Lisa McClain faces Reps. Erin Houchin and Greg Steube. Democrats are running unopposed: Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become speaker, Katherine Clark majority leader and Pete Aguilar whip. A House Republican speaking anonymously expects another short-term continuing resolution through February or March. Some Democrats told POLITICO they could use President Donald Trump's war in Iran as leverage in spending talks.

CBS News, the left-leaning outlet, frames the story around the transition of power. It lists the leadership races in detail, including candidates and the Democratic slate, and presents the shutdown only as a task Republicans face. Fox News, the right-leaning outlet, leads with new Democratic senators who are not committed to backing Sen. Chuck Schumer as majority leader. Its headline stresses a brutal stretch and a crude quote from Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, comparing the lame duck to a full closet. It gives more space to the shutdown deadline, the Iran leverage idea and the anonymous Republican's expectation of a stopgap. Both agree on the timeline and the two main tasks; they differ in focus on detailed leadership contests versus shutdown risk and Democratic divisions. Alternative outlets had not reported the story at the time of writing.