Policy Prespectives

DC Updates: The Election is Over!

Yes, I know: You thought the 2024 election was over a month ago. So did I, and everyone else, but that was just the presidential part of it.

On Wednesday, the last race was finally called when Adam Gray (D) barely defeated Rep. John Duarte (R ) in California’s Central Valley, flipping the seat from red to blue. This will mean that the Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson will have an even narrower majority than previously assumed, especially since President-elect Trump has poached several Republican House members for cabinet positions.

Congress is back in town for a couple of weeks with lots to do, like preventing a government shutdown before December 20 and passing a couple of annual “must-pass” bills. This happens every year when the things they didn’t do come due, and there’s a mad scramble to get them done so they can exit for the holidays. What a way to run a government!

Most of the news these days involves Donald Trump’s cabinet picks who must face Senate vetting after the January 20 inauguration. That will take considerable time, so little legislation is likely to get done, though the president-elect has promised to sign a raft of executive orders on Day 1. Meanwhile, all regulatory activity is essentially shut down until further notice.