hard-right agenda is quickly taking shape, buoyed by eager Republican allies eyeing a full sweep of power on Capitol Hill while Democrats are sorting out what went wrong.
But first, the House and Senate leaders will hold internal party elections this week for their own jobs. Most of the top Republican leaders depend on Trump for their political livelihoods and have worked to draw closer to the president-elect to shore up loyalty. All told, it’s a fundamental reshaping of not only the power centres in Washington, but the rules of governing, as Trump returns to the White House in January with a potential GOP-led Congress that is far less skeptical or wary of his approach than eight years ago, and much more willing to back him.
As lawmakers return this week they will be joined by dozens of new names in the House and Senate who are in town for freshmen orientation weeks and the private leadership elections scheduled for Wednesday. In the House, some conservative Republicans are quietly suggesting their own leadership elections should be postponed until the final results of the House races are resolved. Democrats will hold their House and Senate leadership elections later.