by Elizabeth Crisp & Miranda Nazzaro | The Hill
Heading into a new year, Washington lawmakers have an incredibly full plate of old problems: federal spending, foreign wars, the border surge. It’s not going to be an easy welcome back for anyone.
Facing a Jan. 19 deadline before a partial government shutdown — that’s 17 days away — Congress must hash out a budget deal among House Republicans, the Democrat-controlled Senate and President Biden. All in an election year, and with the Iowa caucuses for Republicans only 13 days away.
Amid the struggle to fund the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and Ukraine’s war with Russia, Republicans are ramping up pressure to address the crisis at the border (more on that below).
It is all setting things up to be a wild start to 2024.
Meanwhile, in the House … The GOP caucus is still worried about showboat lawmakers who may be tanking efforts in the House’s razor-thin majority. The Hill’s Emily Brooks reports that some are upset about the lack of consequences those members have faced.
Hard-liners are ruffling feathers among the rank-and-file and moderate Republicans who see lapsed deadlines or a government shutdown as the impact of their tactics that will likely continue into the new year.
For those hard-liners, peeving their colleagues is just a part of flexing their influence to achieve their goals.
“Change can be very disquieting and uncomfortable. Are people upset by that? I think so,” said Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.).
After a tumultuous 2023 that included the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) after his own struggles to be elected leader of the chamber, the House isn’t so harmonious.
SPEAKING OF ELECTIONS: Obviously, there is a presidential race, but all of the members of the House and a third of the Senate are also on the ballot this year. Here’s where the Cook Political Report currently has them rated.
The Associated Press recently analyzed how retirements are impacting the makeup of Congress.
From the AP’s Kevin Freking‘s report: “More retirements can be expected after the holidays, when lawmakers have had a chance to spend time with families and make decisions ahead of reelection deadlines. But so far, the numbers don’t indicate the dysfunction in the House is causing a mass exodus for either party.”
“Members sort of knew that this is what the institution is currently like when they chose to run for office,” Molly Reynolds, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told the AP. “Some of them may well be feeling frustrated at this point in time, but anybody who has been elected to Congress in recent years, they’re not surprised at what they’re finding when they are getting to Washington.”
MEANWHILE… Democrats are not liking their chances in this state.