The Hitchhiker’s Guide to why the bipartisan spending agreement doesn’t necessarily avert government shutdown
There was some ballyhooing on Sunday that bipartisan Congressional leaders managed to avert a potential, partial government shutdown in the early morning hours of January 20. First of all, fat chance. Second of all, have you met Congress lately? Third, there may not be enough time to avoid a shutdown before the 11:59:59 pm deadline to fund the government on January 19. CRUNCH TIME: CONGRESS KICKS OFF 2024 STARING DOWN POTENTIAL SHUTDOWN Spending covering four government spending bills expires at the end of the day on January 19. Those are bills dealing with Agriculture, Military Construction/VA, Energy & Water and Transportation/Housing & Urban Development. The other eight annual spending bills run out at the end of the day on February 2, including defense and Homeland Security. The main reason this proposal may not douse the government shutdown flames? There simply isn’t enough time. FOX is told that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) intends to process the four bills due on January 19 individually. No appropriations bills are slated for activity this week. So everything likely comes up next week. When asked if the House might glom the bills together, a senior House leadership source said no. But, one would never rule out the possibility of lawmakers stitching a few of the bills together. Even if the House was able to advance four bills next week successfully (and the GOP’s track record has not been great), that chews up time. It also eats up time to get the Senate to align with the House. So, they are running out of track. Fast. The House could expedite the process by putting the bills on the floor via a procedure called “suspension of the rules.” This is where the bill goes directly to the floor and not through the more cumbersome House Rules Committee. The House also spends less time debating the bill on the floor. The tradeoff is that it requires a two-thirds vote to pass the bill. That means a coalition of Republicans and Democrats must team up to approve the measure. Ultra-conservatives won’t support an approach like that. But a large group of GOPers will. Couple that with most Democrats and the bills will probably pass with more than 300 votes – well above the two-thirds threshold required. But what will the right say about Johnson? Remember, conservatives started to hammer former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for passing bills with more Democrats than Republicans. That’s a strike against Johnson right there. In addition, Johnson also opposes doing any sort of interim spending bill to avert a shutdown, known as a “continuing resolution” or “CR.” We also haven’t even considered the Senate in this equation. The Senate can move lightning fast if all 100 senators are in agreement. In fact, much faster than even the House. But processing several spending bills by the book could consume days on end in the Senate. And remember, the House and Senate must be in alignment before Congress can send a bill to President Biden to sign. MULTIPLE VENUES ON THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN TRAIL This is why the chances of a possible government shutdown remain high. There are some conservatives who want a government shutdown. They will argue it’s best to shutter the government until there’s a border deal. In fact, it’s hard to believe there hasn’t been at least one government shutdown so far this Congress. So perhaps this the time when a shutdown hits. And consider the bills which expire on January 19. Some lawmakers would say the bills on the clock right now cover the least important federal departments and programs. Agriculture and HUD is on the list. Not the Pentagon and Homeland Security. So never rule out the possibility of a government shutdown – just because politically, it may just need to happen to satisfy some on the right or to make a point. Conservatives are particularly exercised about the border crisis. Some arch-conservatives say they won’t support funding the government until the border is secure – even though this deadline and set of bills has nothing to do with the border. Perhaps not so ironically, Johnson may score some political points from skeptical conservatives if there’s a government shutdown. McCarthy wasn’t willing to go to the mat. Johnson could pick up applause right there. Right-wing House members in rock-ribbed Republican districts might score plaudits from some of their constituents if there’s a shutdown. The concept of a government shutdown may seem perverse to bipartisan Congressional veterans. But that’s the nature of Congress in 2024. But just remember, no side has ever benefitted politically from a government shutdown. As for policy victories? There were a few of those after a series of shutdowns in the mid-1990s. But the reward is meager. The topline agreement still fails to address how lawmakers might fund the government by February 2. That’s where a major calamity might unfold. If the sides are still dithering over funding the four appropriations bills due in January, there will be a complete government shutdown if Congress hasn’t addressed all 12 of the annual spending plans by February 2. And any political chits which Johnson could collect from the right over a shutdown could be dashed by any bipartisan agreement to fund the government. Conservatives are already skewering Johnson because he adhered to the terms of the spring, 2023 debt ceiling pact McCarthy made with President Biden. The right wanted a new sheriff in town. But so far, they haven’t seen that things are operating much differently. THE SPEAKER’S LOBBY: LEGISLATION ON COLLEGE SPORTS RELEGATED TO THE JV This is why Johnson finds himself in a jam. He has a lot to sell to his members over the next few days. As for the Democrats? They are pleased with the deal. Republicans didn’t force deeper cuts. And if the government shuts down? Democrats certainly don’t want that. But they believe that comports with the chaos which has dominated the GOP throughout the 118th Congress. A shutdown only
Iowa Legislature reconvenes as presidential caucuses loom
The Iowa Legislature reconvened Monday at the state capitol in Des Moines for a somewhat subdued start to the 2024 session given the flurry of laws passed last year and the one-week countdown to Republicans’ presidential caucuses. Before gaveling in, Iowa Republicans celebrated their trifecta — control of the House, Senate and governor’s mansion — and the policies they passed last year, including creating publicly funded educational savings accounts to help families pay for private K through 12 schools; removing books with “sex acts” from school libraries and blocking discussion of gender identity in the classroom; and cutting property taxes. DESANTIS DISMISSES RUMORS HE WOULD DROP OUT OF PRESIDENTIAL RACE AFTER CAUCUS: ‘A TOTAL LIE’ “The impact of Republican leadership is undeniable,” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said at a Republican Party of Iowa breakfast. “With just one week away from the Iowa caucus, the eyes of the country are going to be on Iowa once again. And, you know what, I am so proud of what they will see.” The chambers were last filled in July for a special session, which Reynolds convened to pass a ban on abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy, which is currently on hold as it is reviewed by the state Supreme Court. Republican leadership in the House and Senate both identified cutting income taxes and addressing worker shortages as priorities for the new year. Leaders on both sides of the aisle also acknowledged last week’s shooting at Perry High School, wherein a 17-year-old opened fire on the first day back to school after winter break, wounding seven students and staff and killing an 11-year-old boy. In the House chamber, there was agreement from Republican and Democratic leaders that their work this session needs to address Iowa students’ safety in schools. In her opening remarks, House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst identified reproductive rights, recreational marijuana and public education as her caucuses’ priorities, along with school safety, saying an idea shouldn’t be discounted in the Republican-controlled chamber just because it’s introduced by Democrats.
How to watch Fox News’ town hall with Nikki Haley
A week of back-to-back Fox News-hosted town halls will kick off with presidential candidate and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley on Monday, January 8. Fox News Channel will host the first of three days of town halls with Haley at 6 p.m. EST, speaking with the only female candidate in the GOP presidential race on women’s issues and topics most important to voters. “Special Report” chief political anchor Bret Baier and “The Story” anchor Martha MacCallum will co-moderate the event in Iowa. Haley’s GOP primary competitors, including former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have ramped up attacks on her campaign after the former ambassador climbed to second place in several recent polls. The GOP hopeful’s surge was recently on full display after the campaign reported doubling donor contributions in the fourth quarter, reporting a $24 million haul during the October to December donation period. INFLUENTIAL CONSERVATIVE GROUP LAUNCHES MASSIVE AD AND GRASSROOTS BLITZ ON BEHALF OF HALEY Viewers can tune in to the live town hall event featuring Haley on FOX News Channel. Viewers can also access a live stream on FOX Nation, FOX News Media’s streaming platform, as well as FOXNews.com and FOXBusiness.com. FOX websites will also include live debate reporting and a live blog throughout the evening. Fox News will also host a town hall with Haley’s primary challenger Ron DeSantis on Tuesday evening and a town hall with former President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
Former George Santos staffer hired by Nancy Mace
EXCLUSIVE: A former aide to ousted Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., is now being employed by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., Fox News Digital has learned. Santos’ former communications director, Gabrielle Lipsky, started in a similar role for Mace this month, two sources told Fox News Digital. Her name and email were confirmed in a call to Mace’s Mount Pleasant district office on Monday afternoon. Lipsky resigned from Santos’ office in mid-November, shortly after a damning report by the House Ethics Committee found that the former congressman misused campaign funds and accused him of violating criminal law, Semafor reported at the time. The House voted to expel Santos on Dec. 1 shortly after the report was released. HUNTER BIDEN, MAYORKAS, FAUCI: HOUSE LAWMAKERS RETURN FROM HOLIDAYS FOR A HIGH-PROFILE WEEK Lipsky did not respond to multiple emails from Fox News Digital regarding the new role. A voicemail was left at Mace’s Washington, D.C., office Friday similarly seeking confirmation, but was not returned. The staffer defended working for Santos last February in an interview with Business Insider, as revelations were breaking that the ex-congressman lied about his work history, education and family heritage, among other details. “At the end of the day, the congressman has a job to do, and he needs people to help him do that,” she said at the time. HOUSE, SENATE RELEASE BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT ON GOVERNMENT FUNDING AS SHUTDOWN DEADLINES LOOM Santos is facing 23 federal charges related to misuse of donor funds, identity theft and other accusations. The most recent charges were levied against him in October. The report of Lipsky’s hiring comes after Mace’s office lost several senior staffers in recent months, including her chief of staff, deputy chief and communications director.T Mace was accused of making lewd comments in the office by three sources who spoke anonymously with the Daily Mail in December. A Daily Beast report from November claimed Mace had a “handbook” for staffers that allegedly said, among other things, that her office must send out at least one press release per day and put her on TV at least nine times per week. WHERE NO CONGRESS HAS GONE BEFORE: FACING GALACTIC-SCALE FISCAL CLIFF AND BORDER SECURITY THREATS Mace told Fox News Digital during a Nov. 3 interview that she had not read the report, and shrugged off its accusations. “If someone wants to attack me for working hard and being demanding and wanting to ensure that our staff is organized and working hard for the almost 800,000 constituents that they represent, game on. Bring it. I don’t care. We’re going to continue to work hard for the Lowcountry, for South Carolina, and for the nation,” she said at the time. The South Carolina Republican was one of eight House GOP lawmakers who voted to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as speaker last year.
White House left out of loop of SecDef Austin’s mystery hospitalization due to staffer having flu: Pentagon
The Pentagon revealed Monday that the White House was kept in the dark over Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s intensive care unit hospital treatment for days due to his chief of staff having the flu. Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided updates to the media in an off-camera gaggle Monday, where he explained that Austin’s quiet hospitalization was kept from the White House and National Security Council for days due to Austin’s chief of staff having the flu. The press secretary added that Austin is out of the ICU and is in “good” condition, but remains at Walter Reed hospital for continuing treatment. WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS TO GOP CALLS FOR SEC AUSTIN’S RESIGNATION AFTER MYSTERY AILMENT, HOSPITALIZATION The Pentagon added Monday that the U.S. military strike on Thursday of an Iran-backed militia was authorized before Austin’s hospitalization. Austin underwent an elective medical procedure on Dec. 22 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and days later experienced “severe pain” while at home. He was again transported to the hospital on Jan. 1 to the intensive care unit, Ryder told Fox News on Sunday. There have been no details released clarifying what elective procedure was carried out. The Pentagon said the White House was not told on Dec. 22 that Austin was undergoing the elective procedure. Defense Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who picked up some of Austin’s responsibilities during the procedure last month, was also not informed as to why, meaning both the White House and the Department of Defense’s deputy were unaware of the procedure on Dec. 22 and the subsequent complications. DEFENSE SECRETARY AUSTIN RESUMES DUTIES, WAS IN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT FOR DAYS AS PUBLIC KEPT IN THE DARK Ryder clarified Monday that Austin was initially taken to the hospital last week via ambulance. Austin has resumed his duties, but remains at Walter Reed. The Pentagon said no date is set on when he will be released. DEFENSE SECRETARY AUSTIN HAS NO PLANS TO RESIGN, PENTAGON SAYS The media was made aware on Friday of Austin’s hospital treatment, and reports quickly followed that President Biden, the National Security Council and top Pentagon leaders – including Hicks – were kept in the dark regarding the hospitalization for days. Outrage has since mounted, as Republican lawmakers and leaders sound off that Austin must answer many questions regarding the communication breakdown in the chain of command, and even calling for him to resign or be fired. The White House and Pentagon have both said there are no plans for Austin to resign.
Boebert responds to reports of fight with ex-husband at Colorado restaurant after police called
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., responded to reports about the congresswoman fighting with her ex-husband at a Colorado restaurant after the police were called. “This is a sad situation for all that keeps escalating and another reason I’m moving,” Boebert said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “I didn’t punch Jayson in the face and no one was arrested. I will be consulting with my lawyer about the false claims he made against me and evaluate all of my legal options.” The Silt Police Department confirmed to outlets, including The Denver Post and The Washington Post, that officers responded to Miner’s Claim restaurant, located within Boebert’s district, on Saturday evening regarding an incident involving the congresswoman and her ex-husband, Jayson Boebert, but declined to provide more details at this stage of the investigation. In a brief phone call with The Denver Post, Jayson Boebert reportedly said he called the Silt Police Department on Sunday morning and told police he did not want to press charges. “I don’t want nothing to happen,” Jayson Boebert reportedly said. “Her and I were working through a difficult conversation.” LAUREN BOEBERT ADDRESSES THEATER INCIDENT: ‘I MESSED UP’ Fox News Digital reached out to the Silt Police Department early Monday morning but did not immediately hear back. Silt Police Chief Mike Kite also confirmed the investigation to The Associated Press, but declined to release details, including who called police. Officers planned to talk with witnesses and ask the restaurant owners for any video that might have captured what happened, Kite told the AP. According to The Denver Post, the incident was first exposed by American Muckrakers, a group that says it’s vying to “Fire Boebert” and has been calling for her resignation. On X, American Muckrakers alleged that a physical altercation had ensued and said the group was filing a public information request for the surveillance tapes of the incident. LAUREN BOEBERT SWITCHES DISTRICTS, ANNOUNCING RUN FOR COLORADO SEAT BEING VACATED BY KEN BUCK Boebert’s personal life received media attention in September, and the congresswoman apologized, after she and a date were asked to leave a Denver theater over inappropriate behavior. Infrared CCTV footage showing Boebert and her date apparently vaping and engaging in romantically inappropriate behavior during a performance of “Beetlejuice” had gone viral. A Republican who has served two terms in the U.S. House representing the western side of the state, Boebert announced on Dec. 27 that she was switching congressional districts this year to run for a seat representing the eastern side of Colorado. The 4th Congressional District seat is open with the retirement of Republican U.S. Rep. Ken Buck. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In her current 3rd District, Boebert probably would have faced a tough Democratic challenge from Adam Frisch, who nearly defeated her in the 2022 general election. Boebert filed for divorce from her husband in April, and the divorce was finalized in October. In her relatively short time in Washington, Boebert built a national profile and has aligned with the right wing of the GOP. Her assertive style has grabbed headlines, most famously when she heckled President Biden during his 2022 State of the Union address. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
White House rejects calls for US defence chief to go
Lloyd Austin criticised for not disclosing his multiday hospitalisation to the president and public for several days. US President Joe Biden does not plan to fire Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over his failure to disclose for days that he has been hospitalised, the White House says, despite calls from Republicans for the removal of the Pentagon chief. Austin, 70, sits just below Biden, a Democrat, in the chain of command of the US military. He remains in hospital, which he entered on New Year’s Day. “There is no plan for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job and continue the leadership that has been exhibited,” John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesman, told reporters on Air Force One on Monday. “We’ll do what’s akin to a hot wash and try to see if processes and procedures need to be changed at all or modified so that we can learn from this,” Kirby said. US President Joe Biden is flanked by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin [File: Leah Millis/Reuters] Austin has been criticised for failing to immediately tell the president and the public about his hospitalisation during a war in the Gaza Strip and fears that the conflict could spread in the Middle East. Former President Donald Trump, a Republican who is a likely rival to Biden in November’s presidential election, has argued that Austin should be fired from his position for his lack of transparency, calling it “improper professional conduct and dereliction of duty”. “He has been missing for one week, and nobody, including his boss, Crooked Joe Biden, had a clue as to where he was or might be,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. Elise Stefanik, a Republican congressperson from New York and member of the Armed Services Committee in the House of Representatives, called for Austin’s resignation. “There must be full accountability beginning with the immediate resignation of Secretary Austin and those that lied for him and a Congressional investigation into this dangerous dereliction of duty,” Stefanik said in a statement. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Biden had “complete confidence” in Austin. Kirby said the “main focus” is Austin’s health and recovery. “He has already resumed all his authorities. He’s already doing all the functions he would normally do. He’s just doing it right now from the hospital,” he said. It was revealed on Sunday that Austin’s hospitalisation was kept more secret than previously known, including his deputy and others close to Biden being unaware of Austin’s health condition. “There was no notification of knowledge at the White House or the National Security Council until Thursday afternoon,” Kirby said. The health issue that Austin is receiving treatment for has not been disclosed by the US government. Kirby said he did not have that information but Biden and Austin had spoken in recent days. Adblock test (Why?)
German football legend Franz Beckenbauer dies aged 78
Beckenbauer captained West Germany to a World Cup victory on home soil in 1974. Franz Beckenbauer – one of Germany’s greatest football players, who captained the country’s team to World Cup victory in 1974 then won the tournament again as manager in 1990 – has died at the age of 78, his family said. “It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, surrounded by his family,” his family said in a statement on Monday. Known in football-obsessed Germany as “the Kaiser” meaning “the Emperor”, Beckenbauer played a central role in some of the country’s greatest sporting achievements. Born in Munich in 1945, he helped establish Bayern Munich as his country’s strongest club. He was a classy, dominant presence on the pitch for West Germany and Bayern Munich in the 1960s and 70s, using the calmness on the ball and effortless distribution that marked his midfield performances to virtually invent the central defensive sweeper role where he found most success. He collected 103 caps for West Germany, winning the 1972 European championship and then the World Cup on home soil. His Bayern Munich team was the best club side in the world during the mid-1970s, winning three successive European Cups and three successive Bundesliga titles, and Beckenbauer himself was twice named European footballer of the year. When he was national team manager, his West Germany team lost in the 1986 World Cup final to Argentina but triumphed four years later in Italy as a combined German team. After coaching, Beckenbauer moved into football administration. But in 2016 he was fined by FIFA’s ethics committee for failing to co-operate with an inquiry into corruption over the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Over the next few years, he was engaged in tending to health issues, and the last time he appeared at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena was in August 2022, when he attended a match of Bayern Munich against Borussia Monchengladbach. ‘We will miss him’ Tributes have poured in from across Germany and global the football community, honouring Beckenbauer’s legacy. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz mourned Beckenbauer’s death and said he was one of the greatest footballers in Germany and for many ‘the emperor’ because he “inspired enthusiasm for German football for generations”. “We will miss him. My thoughts are with his family and friends,” Chancellor Scholz said in X. Weltmeister als Spieler und Trainer: Franz Beckenbauer war einer der größten Fußballer in Deutschland und für viele „der Kaiser“ – auch, weil er über Generationen für den deutschen Fußball begeistert hat. Er wird uns fehlen. Meine Gedanken sind bei seiner Familie und Freunden. pic.twitter.com/hSEWFfYk7R — Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) January 8, 2024 “Franz Beckenbauer, one of European football’s greatest sons, has passed away aged 78. ‘Der Kaiser’ was an extraordinary player, successful coach and popular pundit who shaped German football like no other,” the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) said in a statement. Germany’s Bundesliga called Beckenbauer “a true icon, then, now, and always” while the English Premier League said “‘Der Kaiser’ was as elegant as he was dominant. He will forever be remembered.” Rudi Voller, World Cup winner in 1990 and director of the German national team, said it was “one of the great privileges” of his life to “have known and experienced Franz Beckenbauer”. “Our time together with the national team was crowned with the 1990 World Cup title in Rome, a title that would never have been possible without his outstanding coaching performance,” he said. “German football is losing its greatest personality; I am losing a good friend.” Adblock test (Why?)
What international solidarity exists with journalists under Israeli attack?
More journalists killed in three months of Gaza war than in all of World War II or Vietnam War. Al Jazeera journalist Hamza Dahdouh and fellow journalist Mustafa Thuraya were killed in an Israeli air strike on Dahdouh’s car on Sunday. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has documented the killing of 102 journalists and the injury of 71 others by Israeli forces since hostilities began in October. Why have so many journalists been killed in the Israeli assault on Gaza? And what’s the reaction of the world’s media? Presenter: Adrian Finighan Guests: Tim Dawson – deputy secretary general of the International Federation of Journalists Ali Abunimah – founder of the Electronic Intifada Jodie Ginsberg – president of the Committee to Protect Journalists Adblock test (Why?)
Crunch time: Congress kicks off 2024 staring down potential shutdown
The sheer crush of time is extraordinary. Congress returns to session this week after a lengthy holiday recess – much longer for the House than the Senate. And lawmakers face an immediate shutdown by the end of next week. This is the perfect way to initiate 2024 in Congress. A flirtation with a shutdown in the opening days epitomizes what 2024 may be like on Capitol Hill. That said, President Biden and bipartisan, bicameral leaders just forged an agreement on a “topline” for all discretionary spending for the remainder of fiscal year 2024. This is not a bill. This is not a “continuing resolution,” an interim bill to keep the government afloat. CONSERVATIVES REVOLT AGAINST JOHNSON-SCHUMER DEAL TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: ‘WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT’ But it’s a start. And there is a lot to do to avoid shutting down the government in just a few days. With 2024 being an election year – and both the House and Senate controlled by narrow majorities – it could well end with contretemps over election recounts and certifications of House and Senate contests as they sort out which party controls each body heading into 2025. That’s to say nothing of possible debates over who won the presidential election. Naturally, that could tee up yet another set of challenges in the House and Senate on Jan. 6, 2025, to decide who heads to 1600 Pennsylvania, Ave. So the next 12 months are going to be a doozy in Congress. Hope everyone had a nice vacation. If Congress struggles to fund the government, one could envision a scenario where lawmakers are marooned in Washington for weeks on end – ala the 10-plus week stretch in the fall. That involved a dalliance with a government shutdown in October, the dethroning of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and an epic, internecine GOP battle before the House finally elected House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. We don’t believe there’s any immediate threat to Johnson’s grasp on the gavel. But once (and if) lawmakers get through the Jan. 19 funding deadline, that only douses the fiscal flames temporarily. There’s another deadline on Feb. 2. The House is scheduled to be out of session the week of Jan. 21. Then back for three weeks. Then out of session the weeks of Feb. 18 and Feb. 25. That’s followed up by three weeks in Washington in early March. Then out at the end of March and first week of April. HOUSE GOP MAJORITY TO SHRINK AGAIN IN TIME FOR POTENTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN A government shutdown crisis could pulverize the congressional schedule. The same with efforts to advance a plan to address border security and fund Ukraine and Israel. House Republicans are focused on other things, too. They’re looking at impeachment for President Biden, impeachment for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and a contempt of Congress citation for Hunter Biden. Throw in some serious, bipartisan questions about why Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the Pentagon apparently failed to notify anyone that he was hospitalized, and you have a staggering amount of legislative and political traffic on Capitol Hill. All of this hinges on the decisions of key players. Whether they negotiate. Whether they stumble. Whether they produce legislative miracles. Success and failure are the quintessence of Congress. So here’s a thumbnail look at some figures to watch in 2024 – and what it could mean for 2025. Let’s start with the speaker. Johnson’s immediate future appears to be secure. But if Johnson falters? Or if the GOP loses the majority in the fall? Does Johnson stick around? Divining a potential Johnson successor might be as challenging as it was to forecast the speaker’s rise to power. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is the only current member of the GOP brass who emerged unscathed from this fall’s battle for the gavel. Rank and file Republicans rejected both House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., for speaker in October. Would Stefanik be in the mix? It’s also possible that President Trump could consider Stefanik as his running mate this year. Of course, Johnson may be fine. That’s certainly the case if the GOP holds the House, and Johnson placates rambunctious conservatives and demonstrates substantial fundraising prowess. JOHNSON SPARS WITH WHITE HOUSE OVER BORDER FUNDING CLAIMS: ‘DESPERATE’ Johnson is also just liked better than Kevin McCarthy. The Freedom Caucus once again commands the spotlight. Pay attention to Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and new Freedom Caucus leader Rep. Bob Good, R-Va. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., also bear watching. What do they do with impeachment? And if they don’t impeach, was this duo just making a lot of noise? House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., could very well be speaker of the House this time next year if Democrats flip control. But Jeffries is starting to see some fractures in his caucus between progressive, pro-Palestinian Democrats and others who align themselves with Israel. How Jeffries wrestles with those divisions will test his leadership skills. Another name to keep an eye on: Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash. She chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). DelBene will benefit big time if Democrats run good races and seize control of the House. Also watch Rep. John Duarte, R-Calif. He’s one of the most vulnerable Republicans facing re-election this fall, squeaking out a win in 2022 in a district carried by President Biden. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., is also one of the most bipartisan members of Congress. But Biden won one of the electoral votes in Bacon’s district in 2020 thanks to Nebraska’s proportional distribution system. In the Senate, the odds certainly favor Republicans flipping that chamber. Democrats are defending way too many seats in swing states. Republicans are facing re-election in states which are already ruby red. However, will Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., return as the top Republican – either in the majority or the minority? McConnell