The Weekly Hill Update

Below is this week’s congressional update by BakerHostetler’s Federal Policy team. We’ll continue to post in weeks when both chambers of Congress are in session.

HEADLINES

• Congress returns to begin its lame-duck period, fresh off Republicans’ resounding election sweep of the White House and both chambers of Congress.
• House and Senate Republicans will choose their leaders for the next Congress, including a closely contested race to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as majority leader.
• President Joe Biden will host President-elect Donald Trump at the White House.

HOUSE

• The House will be in session tomorrow through Friday.  
• Republicans will meet to vote on their leadership team Wednesday and on internal rules Friday.
• Also on Wednesday, the Oversight Committee will hold a hearing on unidentified anomalous phenomena.
• The full committee schedule can be found here.

SENATE

• The Senate will be also in session tomorrow through Friday, likely working to confirm as many of Biden’s judicial nominees as possible between now and the end of the year.  
• Senate Republicans will choose their next leader in a vote among Sens. John Thune, R-S.D.; John Cornyn, R-Texas; and Rick Scott, R-Fla.
• The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to take up patent reform legislation on Thursday.
• Additional Senate committee meetings can be found here.

WHITE HOUSE

• The presidential transition is underway, with Trump beginning to fill out his White House staff and cabinet.
• Biden will host Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the White House tomorrow; Biden and Trump will meet Wednesday.
• Thursday, Biden will travel to Lima, Peru, beginning a six-day trip to South America.