Democrats reclaimed both the House and Senate in the midterm elections, ending unified Republican control. Congress returns Monday for a lame-duck session before the Jan. 3 transfer of power; Republicans have about five more weeks in session. President Trump has questioned early vote numbers and ballot machines after initially suggesting he would accept the Democratic landslide, according to The Guardian. Lame-duck GOP priorities include government funding, military/defense bills, confirming Trump nominees, and potentially a bipartisan permitting deal.
The GOP is in its final stretch with full control, and some Republicans want to work weekends and holidays to push through as much as possible. The Senate's 60-vote threshold limits what can pass on spending bills, requiring Democratic cooperation. The Wall Street Journal's editorial board argues this could be the GOP's last realistic chance to pass its agenda for years.
The Guardian's live blog reports that Downing Street did not deny a Guardian report saying interim zero-emission vehicle targets may be watered down, while saying the government remains committed to the ZEV approach.
President Trump is questioning early vote numbers and ballot machines after initially suggesting he would accept the Democratic midterm victory. Democrats have reclaimed the House and Senate, leaving a lame-duck Republican Congress.
Christie's will auction what is believed to be the only surviving handwritten final full draft of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech in New York in January; proceeds are expected to exceed $10 million and go to charities, including the King Center.
Russell Brand was sentenced to 10 years and 6 months for rape and sexual assault offences; he must serve two-thirds of the sentence before being eligible for parole.
BThe Wall Street Journal opinion page just posted: "Needed: a lame duck Congress that isn't lame."
BThey know how to write a headline.
BTheir argument is the GOP just lost the House and Senate, but it still has about five weeks before the new Congress sits.
BFive weeks to do what exactly?
BPass government funding, defense bills, confirm Trump nominees, maybe a permitting deal.
BLast chance? They had two years with full control.
BThat's the point. They didn't get it done then, and now the Senate needs 60 votes for spending.
BSo now they're suddenly going to find bipartisan deals?
BThey have to. That's not weakness, that's math.
BIt's not math, Brian. It's ignoring what voters just said.
BNo, wait—voters chose divided government. That means both sides have to deal.
BVoters rejected unified Republican control. Using a lame duck to jam through priorities after being fired is exactly what people hate.
BThey weren't fired until January. They're still in office.
BOh, come on. You know that's a technicality. The message was clear.
BThe message was: no one gets everything. So pass the boring stuff now, while you can.
BThe boring stuff includes confirming nominees. That's not boring, that's a power grab.
BSome of it is. But permitting reform? That's been bipartisan for a decade.
BThen why didn't they pass it before the election?
BBecause, the argument goes, the House hardliners wouldn't take yes for an answer. Now they have no choice.
BSo losing is their strategy?
BNo, losing is their wake-up call.
BThat's not a governing philosophy. That's panic.
BIt's a lame-duck session! It exists exactly for this. You use the time you're given.
BLame-duck sessions exist to finish must-pass business, not to pass an agenda.
BGovernment funding and defense ARE must-pass.
BI'll grant you that. But the Journal says "pass its priorities."
BThey said "may have its last chance in years." That's not "jam everything through." It's be realistic.
BRealistic would have been passing these things when they had the votes.
BWe're in violent agreement about the last two years. But that's gone.
BSo now we're supposed to hand them a consolation prize?
BNot a prize. A functioning government until the next Congress.
BA functioning government is one that respects an election result.
BIt can respect the result and still pass a defense bill. Those aren't opposites.
BI think the risk is they'll use the chaos to push through controversial nominees.
BThat's a fair worry. But that doesn't make the whole lame duck illegitimate.
BI didn't say illegitimate. I said voters won't reward them for it.
BThey're not asking for a reward. They're leaving.
BThen they should leave quietly.
BThat's not how Congress has ever worked.
BMaybe it should.
BAnyway—the Journal's editorial is already getting pushback from Democrats, as expected.
BThey've earned it.
BBut if they don't fund the government, the shutdown risk lands on them too.
BShutdown would be worse for them. They know it.
BExactly. So they'll cut a deal.
BThen they'll do the minimum.
BThe minimum is fine. The Journal wants more.
BThe Journal wants a legacy.
BMaybe they have a right to define their own legacy.
BNo, voters should define that.
BIf they do nothing, they'll be blamed for the chaos.
BThey'll be blamed either way.
BThen might as well govern.
BGoverning requires consent.
BConsent was the November election. They still have it until January.
BYou keep coming back to that.
BBecause it's the law.