Republicans are already making big plans for the 119th Congress, many of which center on using a legislative maneuver called reconciliation.  GOP leaders have suggested they are planning a mammoth-sized bill to implement President-elect Trump’s tax policies, lower the federal deficit and enact conservative policies early next year. Reconciliation is a way to fast-track legislation on issues like taxes, the debt limit and federal spending by bypassing the...

President-elect Trump wants to abolish the Department of Education (DOE), but experts suggest the incoming commander in chief would need congressional approval before doing so. “One thing I’ll be doing very early in the administration is closing up the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., and sending all education and education work it needs back to the states,” Trump said on the campaign trail. As Trump solidifies his...