Republicans face a lame-duck fight over funding, the NDAA and Hegseth before January

Congress returns with a short calendar

Congress returns on Monday, 9 November, for a session scheduled to run five more weeks before the end of the year. Republicans hold their House and Senate majorities only until 3 January 2027, when Democrats take control of both chambers and set the legislative agenda. Some Republicans want to use every remaining day, including weekends and holidays, to confirm Trump's nominees and pass as much legislation as possible. Sen. Rick Scott, a Florida Republican, told Fox News that the work should continue through Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.

“Let's get everything done.”

The House Freedom Caucus wish list

The House Freedom Caucus sent a letter on Monday, 9 November, to Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune setting out what it wants done before the handover. The group asks leaders to codify Trump's border security policies and tighten voter ID rules in federal elections. It also wants a funding package that keeps spending at existing levels or carries no extra policy provisions. A final party-line bill would focus on modernizing U.S. defense systems and providing tax relief for families, offset by $1 trillion in spending reductions.

“Let's hold the line and finish the work.”

The letter also names areas where Democrats could agree, such as extending the stock trading ban to executive and judicial branch officials. It does not say whether the group would support the bipartisan permitting bill that the White House helped broker, which faces its first procedural vote in the Senate on Monday night.

The funding deadline and Democratic leverage

Government funding runs out after 11 December, and a spending agreement must be reached before then to keep federal agencies open. Bloomberg reports that congressional Democrats are weighing whether to use that deadline to pressure Trump to end the war in Iran. Appropriations leaders from both parties hope to meet in the week of 9 November to start working out a deal, according to two people familiar with the matter. Funding talks stalled over the summer after Democrats refused to back a defense increase without a comparable rise in domestic spending. Rodell Mollineau, a Democratic strategist, said Democrats may postpone some fights until January, when they will have more negotiating leverage.

Massie's Epstein vote and the Hegseth impeachment resolution

Rep. Thomas Massie is pushing another vote related to Jeffrey Epstein, adding a headache for the administration and House GOP leaders. He also plans to force a vote in the week of 9 November on his impeachment resolution against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. House GOP leaders would rather avoid both items. The New York Times reports that Hegseth's leadership of the war with Iran has drawn criticism from both parties. Departing Republicans could complicate the session further by skipping votes or defying their leaders, which would make it harder to move party priorities before January.

Trump's position and the bills still in play

Trump still holds the presidential veto, which gives him leverage over anything Congress passes in the lame-duck period. The New York Times reports that he has shown little sign of moderating after the midterm losses and is replacing his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, with Stephen Miller. Congress has passed the National Defense Authorization Act every year since 1961, and lawmakers are reluctant to break that streak. Passing it could set up a fight over the Iran war, as some Republicans have grown more willing to criticize the conflict. Nadeam Elshami, a former chief of staff to Nancy Pelosi, said Democrats feel emboldened on spending and defense policy.

“What has to get done is appropriations and the NDAA bill.”

A bipartisan permitting bill could overhaul how energy and infrastructure projects are approved. Elshami said permitting reform would be welcome but faces significant hurdles. The Senate is set to hold its initial procedural vote on that bill on Monday night, 9 November.