Congress returns with Democratic majorities, urgent funding deadlines and a crowded agenda
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The House and Senate are back in Washington on Monday with little time to fund the government, address the debt ceiling and move major legislation such as defense authorization and permitting reforms — all while Democrats hold the advantage and Republicans face narrower margins.
Congress is set to resume in Washington on Monday as the 119th session enters its final weeks. Lawmakers must act before the current funding lapse on Dec. 11, pass the National Defense Authorization Act and consider other proposals, including a construction permitting package and a bill to regulate name, image and likeness compensation for college athletes.
Democrats entered the new Congress with a sizable majority in the House and potentially up to 56 seats in the Senate, while Republicans returned with reduced numbers after recent midterm elections. The shift reduces incentives for bipartisan compromises, according to analysts, and gives Democrats more leverage in the months ahead.
Some Republican members, such as Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), have urged an early increase of the debt limit before the GOP loses further control. The federal debt surpassed $40 trillion in September, approaching the $41.1 trillion ceiling set by the 2025 budget reconciliation law. The Bipartisan Policy Center warned that Treasury could reach its borrowing limit by mid-summer, and a Bank of America estimate suggested the United States might be unable to meet all obligations by Nov. 2027.
Democrats may treat the debt ceiling as a negotiating tool in the next Congress, while Republicans would need a near-unanimous reconciliation vote to raise the limit, a difficult prospect given the narrow margins and the likelihood of partisan brinkmanship.
A permitting reform deal reached by top Senate energy committee members before the election could face uncertainty. The Senate plans a procedural vote on the measure Monday evening, but Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) reportedly did not support the agreement, and House Democrats have previously expressed reservations.
The National Defense Authorization Act, which authorizes more than $1 trillion in defense spending, was passed by the House in July but faced opposition from Senate Democrats over concerns about the Iran conflict. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) criticized President Donald Trump’s approach to the Iran situation, stating the administration lacked authorization, a plan and an exit strategy. The bill also includes a provision requiring Pentagon approval for contractor stock buybacks and dividends, drawing criticism from businesses.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to face an impeachment vote when Congress reconvenes, adding further complexity to the NDAA process.
Other items on the agenda include a bipartisan college-athlete compensation package approved by the Senate, which faces opposition in the House, and legislation aimed at prohibiting members of Congress from trading individual stocks. The House-passed Stop Insider Trading Act, supported by Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), would restrict trading only for lawmakers and not require divestment of existing holdings, prompting Democratic resistance. Jeffries has highlighted a ban on congressional stock trading as a priority in his speaker-candidate communications.