The old Congress is back today to face a new political reality — and deal with some unfinished business. Democrats don’t take power until January, but they are already working on their agenda, deciding which priorities to pursue first. And while the new members of Congress attend their orientation sessions in preparation for 2027, it’s already Miller time at the White House, as President Trump’s new chief of staff, Stephen Miller, officially begins his new job.
Democrats must decide just how much they want to work with Trump and Miller. When asked today if Miller can be a viable partner for his party, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries was quick to say no. “Stephen Miller is a stone-cold racist,” Jeffries told reporters at an afternoon news conference. “His track record speaks for itself, and I've got zero interest in working with that kind of individual.”
Jeffries has said repeatedly that Democrats will be focused on reversing the Republican cuts to Medicaid, ending the Iran war, ending Trump’s tariffs and renewing expired Affordable Care Act tax credits.
A looming shutdown deadline: Lawmakers will also quickly have to address several must-pass items, including a December 11 deadline to fund the government. With just four weeks to go before the deadline to avoid a government shutdown, Democrats have to decide if they want to pursue a long-term spending deal now and clear the decks for the incoming Congress or, seemingly more likely, enact a short-term fix that punts a full-year deal until after they control the House and Senate. Jeffries told reports that the strategy on a spending deal is in the hands of the top Democrats on the appropriations committees, Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Rosa DeLauro.
A key issue in any funding fight will be the administration’s push for a massive defense budget and additional money for the Iran war. The annual defense policy bill, passed for 65 straight years, remains unfinished as well. Both of those items are complicated by the massive unpopularity of the Iran war — and perhaps by the impending impeachment of defense secretary Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth faces impeachment: Outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie filed articles of impeachment against Hegseth on Monday, including eight charges related to the Iran war and other military actions taken during his time at the Pentagon. Republican leaders will have to bring it to a floor vote within two legislative days or pursue a motion to kill the resolution, which would require a majority vote that would likely be hard to achieve.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a Sunday interview on ABC’s “This Week” and again today that he is a “hard yes” on impeaching Hegseth. “Pete Hegseth, the most unqualified secretary of defense in American history, has got to go,” he said. “Hopefully, this can come to an end — the national nightmare that has been Pete Hegseth can end this week, if the president doesn’t make the decision on his own to terminate him.”
Some Republicans likely share that sentiment. Republican Rep. James Comer, the chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told NewsNation in an interview on Friday that members of the GOP have questions about Hegseth. “We have no idea what the strategy is moving forward in Iran,” Comer said. “No one’s happy about Iran, and I think the Republican voters are more upset about what’s going on in Iran than the Democrat voters.”