Congress Faces Lame-Duck Scramble as Democrats Prepare to Take Power

Members of Congress have returned to Capitol Hill for a lame-duck session with a lengthy agenda but only a few weeks to get it done before Democrats step into power.

Before leaving for October recess, lawmakers still had a handful of unfinished business to attend to, including impeachment proceedings against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, defense spending legislation and government funding.

In September, Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced legislation to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth under the War Powers Resolution. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) adjourned the House before lawmakers could vote, but Rep. Massie reintroduced the resolution as a privileged measure, ensuring a vote will take place this week.

“Secretary Hegseth knowingly executed and implemented unlawful orders to initiate war against a foreign nation notwithstanding the absence of congressional authorization,” Rep. Massie said on the House floor.

Another legislative priority on the 119th Congress’ final to-do list is to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which has stalled in the Senate over Democrats’ opposition to advancing the $1.15 trillion defense package amid the ongoing war with Iran. The bill authorizes defense spending and establishes policies and priorities for the Pentagon, military construction, and national security programs.

“You can't trust President Trump's Department of War to do much of anything,” Rep. Christian Menefee (D-TX) told Texas Politics after the bill failed.

But more pressing is the annual Appropriations bill that funds the government. In September, House Republicans and Democrats passed a bill to fund the government until after the midterms. If lawmakers don’t pass full-year appropriations legislation or another continuing resolution before Dec.11, the government could face another shutdown.

Meanwhile, a group of Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus are calling on Republicans to deliver on their legislative priorities before Democrats step into power in January.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), a member of the caucus, has continued to push his colleagues to complete a 14-point conservative agenda, including border security, immigration restrictions, election integrity, and a ban on congressional stock trading.

“We were elected to deliver what we promised the American people, not to campaign for re-election,” Rep. Roy said in a letter to his colleagues in July. “Delivering on decisive policy mandates is the best way to grow a majority.”