There's nothing lawmakers loathe more than not being read in or listened to. Elon Musk is learning that lesson, visiting with House & Senate Republicans today on an outreach tour meant to assuage concerns by lawmakers facing angry constituents www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Pres. Trump is giving Congress A LOT of directives on new bills to send his way, including funding a dome missile defense system around the U.S. Fiscal hawks in the House, who have often balked on spending bills, are hoping to slash defense funding, and this... wouldn't do that

Also - a bunch of @washingtonpost.com reporters in the newsroom, on Capitol Hill and across DC are doing live analysis of this speech. @jeffstein.bsky.social, @mbirnbaum.bsky.social, @iarnsdorf.bsky.social, @mariannasotomayor.bsky.social + me and more. Join us here:

Fascinating development: House Democratic leaders skipped escorting Pres. Trump into the House chamber, bucking tradition. A spokesperson for Leader Jeffries said the action "speaks for itself.” Just this morning, they advised members to keep the focus Trump, not on themselves

Pres. Trump will soon deliver his address to a joint session of Congress, his first after winning a second term to the presidency and shaking up a lot in Washington. Follow along with yours truly and my many @washingtonpost.com colleagues: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

House Republicans accomplished passing their budget resolution. That was the easy part. We’ve talked to many who have already put leadership — & Trump — on notice if policy cuts kick constituents off safety net programs, particularly Medicaid www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202... Latest from @knowleshannah.bsky.social @mariannasotomayor.bsky.social @mariana-alfaro.bsky.social

President Trump is expected to move as soon as this week to fold the Postal Service into the Commerce Department, which experts say would violate laws establishjng the mail agency as independent www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

D.C. U.S. attorney probing Hill Democrats over alleged threats citing “Free speech has limits,” documents obtained by @washingtonpost.com show www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...

House Republicans are still working on striking a deal on one ‘big beautiful bill’ as time ticks against them. Good luck to everyone next week, especially if the House and Senate try to pass their budget proposals. I'll be on vacation 😎✌️ www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Speaker Johnson, projecting positivity after a 5 hour meeting at the White House, says that Republicans, with Pres. Trump’s help, are getting closer to reaching a deal on a budget resolution. But negotiations will continue through the night to hammer it out www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

As Washington reels from Trump’s first actions, his voters like what they see. Voters in Pennsylvanis were largely in favor of his efforts to scale back the federal workforce, slash foreign aid, & more. A worthwhile read: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

House Republicans emerged from their weekly meeting without consensus on how to advance their budget resolution. Same tension as always: Fiscal hawks want trillions more in $ cuts, others don’t think the request is realistic. Senate waiting for the House — or else they’ll move

Speaker Johnson, who is a constitutional lawyer, wouldn't say today whether Pres. Trump's EO dismantling USAID violates the Constitution. He said that while Congress funds the agencies, "we don't yet know all the details on what final decision" will be made by the executive branch on the matter

🚨 Big Scoop: We have the "blueprint" that House Republican leadership presented for reconciliation bill at their Miami retreat this week. Spoiler alert: For all the talk of spending cuts, it doesn't actually cut spending. via me + @mariannasotomayor.bsky.social

Breaking news: The White House budget office on Wednesday rescinded an order freezing federal grants, according to a copy of a new memo obtained by The Post, after the administration’s move to halt spending earlier this week provoked a backlash.

And that's a wrap on the House GOP retreat! GOP leaders came in search of buy-in from lawmakers on Trump's agenda, and while there was some, everyone admits the hard part begins next week, with @jacobbogage.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Pres. Trump’s first week in office has left House Democrats spinning, challenging leaders who’ve asked lawmakers to stay focused. But unity means different things to flanks of the caucus, previewing the tension that will test House Democrats in the minority: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

For 30 years, Republicans have used the threat of a national default to make Democrats negotiate over GOP demands. Now Democrats see an opportunity to turn the tables to cut off Trump’s agenda and take the debt limit off the table in future legislative battles.

NEW: Pres. Trump had to recognize that Speaker Johnson’s frank advice that House Republicans would not support his directives are a sign of pragmatic, not weak, leadership. We go behind the scenes on how Johnson won Trump over, making them a powerful duo in DC: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

INSIDE THE ROOM: President Trump met with Congressional GOP leadership Tuesday on his first day in office. It was described as a good “first date.” (Spoiler alert: there will be a second date soon). My dispatch in today’s Early Brief: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the...

Donald Trump will be sworn in for his second term, promising a flurry of actions on Day 1. Follow @pkcapitol.bsky.social & yours truly reporting the latest from inside the Capitol, with insights from my ace @washingtonpost.com colleagues on this historic day: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Quoting scripture and hymns on his last full day as president, Joe Biden encouraged parishioners at a Black church in South Carolina to stay engaged in the fight for racial progress, offering a goodbye of sorts to a state that played a key role in his presidential aspirations.

Here we goooo: Trump is expected to sign a number of executive orders shortly after being sworn in Monday, showcasing his commitment to swiftly enacting policy changes he promised on the campaign trail. The latest: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

If Donald Trump hadn’t won the presidential election in November, the Justice Department would have had ample evidence to convict him at trial of trying to obstruct the 2020 election results, special counsel Jack Smith said in a report released Tuesday.

It was a day, but at least just one. Here’s how Mike Johnson clinched the speakership — with an assist from Trump in just one vote, with dream team @JaxAlemany @LACaldwellDC & @marianne_levine www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Mike Johnson has been reelected Speaker of the House after a contentious and dramatic back and forth with several Republican holdouts on the first round of voting. Only Rep. Thomas Massie voted against Johnson while all 215 Democrats supported Hakeem Jeffries www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

A brief meeting paid off -- Reps. Ralph Norman and Keith Self changed their votes to support Mike Johnson for speaker. Johnson now has the necessary 218 votes to regain the gavel on the first ballot of voting -- a difference from two years ago www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

The roll call vote to elect Mike Johnson has ended, but official results have yet to be called. Johnson just walked into his ceremonial office with 8 members of the Freedom Caucus, including two who voted against him. Massie, the other no vote, isnt in the room www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Hello from inside the House chamber where we're about to witness whether Speaker Mike Johnson is reelected to wield the gavel again this term. Follow along with @washingtonpost.com for real time updates: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

And if you’d rather listen about what to expect today, we got you covered! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...

It’s going to be tricky — & no one denying it will be painful — for Speaker Johnson to win over ALL Republicans to wield the gavel again, increasing the risk that the intra-GOP battles that defined the 118th Congress will continue into the 119th. Hereeee we go! www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

President-elect Donald Trump gave House Republican lawmakers a directive on Monday, days before what is expected to become an embattled speakership fight: Support Mike Johnson’s reelection.

Took the shortest break from Congress only to come back to some consequential news: Donald Trump has endorsed Mike Johnson to remain as speaker of the House, which will help wavering Republicans fall in line. But some may still make Friday's vote a headache: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

@mariannasotomayor.bsky.social unpacks Trump's wavering support for Speaker Mike Johnson and explains challenges he faces to hold on to the speakership.

The past week provides a preview of what spending battles could be like in a closely divided Congress and with warring GOP factions.

After Trump won the election, he told Speaker Johnson he wanted the federal debt limit taken care of before he took office. That’s all they agree on. How government funding devolved & the blame game that ensured, w @iarnsdorf @marianne_levine @lizcgoodwin www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

The House has wrapped up for the year, successfully passing a government funding bill with bipartisan votes! This House reporter will now rest ✌️https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/12/20/government-shutdown-bill-continuing-resolution/

House Democrats are supporting the latest funding plan, all but ensuring the 118th Congress wraps up for the House tonight: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

To watch: Yes, bill text is out. But House Democrats were privately telegraphing they may not have the votes to overcome Republican defections on the bill Johnson proposed to his GOP conference hours earlier www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Speaker Johnson proposed his latest plan (I've lost count of what number this one is), but it still requires significant buy-in from multiple corners to pass. And Elon Musk isn't helping... The latest with @jacobbogage.bsky.social: www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

There’s 14 hours until the government shutdown. Do you know where the House Republican funding bill is? Speaker Johnson said there’s a plan, but several ideas haven’t materialized to hold a vote. Follow along with us for the latest: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

House Republicans were souring on Speaker Johnson’s leadership this week, with corners of the conference whispering about who could replace him next year. But all acknowledge his fate comes down to one person only: Trump The latest w/ @pkcapitol.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

In the 24 hours since Trump echoed House Republicans and helped derail Speaker Johnson's funding plan, Johnson struck a deal among Republicans. But not all are on board, and Democrats won't help... the shutdown threat still looms with @jacobbogage.bsky.social t.co/1I7GCiIrMn

So, it was a day in the House: huge opposition to Johnson's government funding bill suddenly threatened his speakership as Republicans mused over who could replace him if he couldn’t notch the gavel next year …then Trump chimed in. The latest with @jacobbogage.bsky.social t.co/5Rms2wM76u

Breaking news: The House Ethics Committee is set to release its report on former congressman Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) this week, a reversal for the panel that voted along party lines not to release the results of a long-running investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use.

House Republicans are celebrating staying atop the majority, but they’re privately fretting — and bracing for —their slimmer and still ideologically fractured conference to self-impose hurdles and headaches. The reality of the narrow margins in my latest: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Rep. Jerry Nadler, the top Democrat on House Judiciary Committee, steps aside and endorses Rep. Raskin for the role amid pressure for aging leaders to step aside ahead of a second Trump term www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Inside the room: Pete Hegseth calls on accusers to come forward in meeting with House Republicans, while lawmakers pledge to go on national TV in his defense and whip senators in support of his nomination www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

…👀: Pete Hegseth is crossing over to the House side this afternoon. He’s meeting with the Republican Study Committee, the largest ideological faction of staunch conservatives in the House, who are preparing to work with cabinet officials in a second Trump term www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...