It’s Tuesday, the traditional day for elections and for our pause-and-consider newsletter on politics and policy. We think of it as a mini-magazine in your inbox.
2026, WE SEE YOU
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews
Correspondent
At just three days old, 2026 announced itself with the subtlety of a Bravo housewife.
The seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro and pledge by President Donald Trump that the U.S. will “run” the country have changed history in the Western Hemisphere. And we are at the beginning of this story.
But this is not the only pressing matter for our lawmakers.
We thought it might be helpful to lay out a rough to-do list for members of Congress as they return from holiday break.
1. Oversight of U.S. action overseas
This of course includes briefings and questions about Venezuela. When and why would troops be sent? Does Trump propose spending U.S. dollars on its oil industry? What lies ahead for Venezuelans in this new political era?
Watch the segment in the player above.
But Congress must also remain relevant and connected regarding the list of other countries which the Trump administration has now threatened with U.S. action: Colombia, Cuba, Greenland, Mexico and Iran.
2. Avoid a government shutdown
Almost no one in Washington believes there will be a partial government shutdown at the end of the month when the last funding bill runs out.
But how will lawmakers avoid one? There are some tricky disagreements that are not resolved, including over the length of the next funding bill and a slew of specific cuts or additions that various lawmakers want to see.
On the positive side, lawmakers have funded the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Agriculture for the remainder of the fiscal year. That means all VA operations will continue and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, formerly known as food stamps, will flow regardless.
3. Tackle health care
The enhanced subsidies from the Affordable Care Act have expired.
But Congress can still — and some are working ardently to — retroactively restore them. We expect a measure on the House floor this week to extend those subsidies for three years. (Four Republicans teamed up with Democrats to force this vote.) Moreover, that vote will likely pass.
A handful of senators are in the middle of bipartisan talks aimed at finding something that can pass that chamber.
But it is not clear if that can happen soon, nor if anything that passes the Senate will work in the House.
4. Retire. Or don’t. But decide
As we reported, this Congress is on pace for a near-record number of retirements, and there easily could be more to come.
With filing deadlines nearing, members need to decide in coming months if they will try to stay or if they will go.
5. Deal with the tough stuff
Consider this (because Congress does not seem to be): Both Social Security and Medicare face essential insolvency in just eight years. Eight years. To be specific, that is when the money runs out for the Social Security retirement trust fund and for Medicare’s hospital insurance trust fund.
In addition, the national debt continues to rocket its way to unprecedented levels for peacetime.
These are problems our current lawmakers in Washington have created or ignored (and in ignoring, inflamed). These issues are fraught with political peril. And the running Republican thought is that the party is vulnerable in 2026.
Thus, it seems foolhardy to imagine that Republicans in power will work with Democrats to address these coming crises. But my task here is to create a list of what needs to be done, not what will be done.
And addressing our fast-approaching long-term issues should be in the top five.
More on politics from our coverage:
Watch: Special correspondent Monica Villamizar gives an on-the-ground look at how Colombia is reacting to Trump's threats as tensions rise.
One Big Question: Trump promised “no new wars.” How does the U.S. escalation with Venezuela square with Trump’s “America First” stance? NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter discuss.
A Closer Look: How this new mail rule could affect your ballot, your tax return and more.
Perspectives: A pediatric infectious disease specialist on what the overhaul of U.S. vaccine guidance means for public health.
REMEMBERING THE JAN. 6 CAPITOL RIOT
House Democrats held a special Jan. 6th hearing on the five-year anniversary of the attack. Watch it in the player above.
By Joshua Barajas
Senior Editor, Digital
Five years after a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, House Democrats sought to reclaim the public memory of that day from efforts to downplay its significance and violence.
During an hourslong unofficial hearing at the Capitol, House Democrats called more than a dozen witnesses to share the facts of the insurrection, such as Trump’s repeated lie that the 2020 election was stolen and the assault that unfolded, including against officers who were protecting the building and lawmakers inside of it.
Several speakers recounted what they experienced:
Jan. 6 rioter Pamela Hemphill, once known as the “MAGA Granny,” apologizes to U.S. Capitol officers. Watch the clip in the player above.
Rep. Norma Torres, D-Calif., described being on the House balcony as rioters overran the Capitol, causing her to run for her life. She emphasized the underlying theme of the whole hearing: The truth of Jan. 6 should not be erased or rewritten.
Former Capitol Police officer Winston Pingeon recounted the day’s violence and said it was “completely unacceptable” that Trump’s sweeping pardons shielded more than 1,500 rioters from accountability.
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., one of two Republicans who served on the House committee to investigate the Capitol attack, focused his testimony on the lack of courage within his own party. He was shocked that more Republicans didn’t speak out about Trump’s role in the events of that day, saying he was “surrounded by a bunch of cowards.”
Pamela Hemphill, once known as the “MAGA Granny,” rejected the pardon she received for her role on Jan. 6. On Tuesday, she delivered an emotional apology to Capitol officers.
What Trump said about Jan. 6.
Watch the clip in the player above.
Trump briefly acknowledged the anniversary on Tuesday.
During a retreat with House Republicans at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the president lambasted “fake news" and the former Jan. 6 House committee for twisting his words.
The main goal of the meeting was to focus on their agenda for the new year, with upcoming midterm elections top of mind.
"You gotta win the midterms 'cause, if we don't win the midterms, … they'll find a reason to impeach me," Trump told Republican lawmakers. "I'll get impeached."
Prominent Jan. 6 rioters marched in D.C. Meanwhile, former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio staged a march Tuesday that retraced the rioters’ path to the Capitol. Tarrio is among the many people convicted of felonies related to the attack who received a pardon from the president. The march was billed to honor those killed on Jan. 6, including Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt who was shot by an officer.
A missing memorial to Jan. 6 epitomizes partisan tensions. Congress authorized the creation of an official plaque commemorating the events of Jan. 6 in 2022, setting a one-year deadline for its installation. Yet this tribute to the officers who defended the Capitol has yet to be installed inside the building.
Two officers have sued the administration, hoping to force its unveiling. House Speaker Mike Johnson has called the statute authorizing the plaque “not implementable.”
While the case is currently tied up in court, Democrats have erected makeshift memorials in the Capitol.
THIS WEEK’S TRIVIA QUESTION
By Matt Loffman
Senior Elections Producer
Before we fully leave 2025 in the rearview mirror, it’s worth looking at a historically unproductive year in Congress.
While President Donald Trump signed more than 200 executive orders this year – already more than from his entire first term and more than any of his immediate predecessors signed their entire time in office – the House had fewer roll call votes this year than any other first session this century.
And Congress as a whole set a new record for the lowest number of bills signed into law in the first year of any presidency.
Our question: How many bills did Congress sign into law in 2025? Give us your best guess.
Send your answers to [email protected] or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.
Last week, we asked: Before the White House was built, another president held a New Year’s Day reception. Which president was it and — bonus — where was it held?
The answer: George Washington. The New Year’s Day tradition began with the first U.S. president, who had a party in 1790 at his home in New York. Washington noted in his diary that a host of people, including “all the respectable citizens,” visited his home to “pay the compliments of the seasons to me.”
Congratulations to our winners: Nabiha Chowdhury and Tim Smith!
Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.
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