{"id":911403,"date":"2026-11-09T16:00:10","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T16:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/911403\/"},"modified":"2026-11-09T16:00:10","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T16:00:10","slug":"the-latest-congress-returns-to-a-changed-washington","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/911403\/","title":{"rendered":"The Latest: Congress returns to a changed Washington"},"content":{"rendered":"

Congress is reconvening in a changed Washington<\/a>, with Trump doubling down on his political threats<\/a> despite the landmark GOP losses.<\/a><\/p>\n

President Donald Trump<\/a>, in his first major interview<\/a> since his party lost control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections, said he thinks his administration was too aggressive on deportations<\/a> and that he thinks he can work with Democrats in the new Congress on some kind of immigration deal.<\/p>\n

Trump and his Department of Justice are taking a combative stance<\/a> toward Democrats, signaling intense conflict to come as lawmakers prepare aggressive investigations<\/a> into the executive branch next year. Trump set the tone, declaring on social media that investigative requests already made by Democrats are \u201cextortion at the highest level, and they should be held accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here’s the Latest:<\/p>\n

G7 ministers to press Rubio on Ukraine and Iran<\/p>\n

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized democracies began two days of talks in Paris on Monday as they grapple with multiple unresolved global crises amid questions about how Trump<\/a> will approach foreign policy after his Republican Party\u2019s heavy losses<\/a> in the midterm elections<\/a>.<\/p>\n

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a> is likely to face questions about whether the administration will shift its positions on the Russia-Ukraine war, the Iran conflict, energy security and artificial intelligence at the meetings between top diplomats from the U.S., Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan on Monday and Tuesday.<\/p>\n

It is Rubio\u2019s first overseas trip since Republicans lost control of Congress<\/a>, partly because of the Iran war<\/a> and other deeply unpopular policies. The talks also come amid major protests<\/a> across Europe.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

US missing in action at UN climate summit after another disastrous year<\/p>\n

The United States \u2014 the world\u2019s second-largest polluter after China<\/a> \u2014 is again absent as world leaders, delegates and climate activists opened annual talks on curbing the global warming causing deadly heat waves in Europe<\/a> and disasters such as the devastating floods in Nepal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This U.N. Conference of the Parties, or COP31 \u2014 comes as the war in Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz<\/a>, hiking global prices of gasoline, oil and products made with them, such as fertilizers and pesticides. The disruption has pushed governments to rethink energy policies and increased investment in renewable energy sources like wind and solar.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe climate crisis is now a global health crisis of pandemic proportions,\u201d U.N. climate chief Simon Stiell said on Monday. \u201cAt this COP, nations face a choice: electric or shock. Rewire the global economy for the electric age. Or accept ongoing fossil fuel cost pain for families, firms and governments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Van Hollen mulls Senate leadership run<\/p>\n

Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen<\/a> is considering a challenge to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schume<\/a> r, according to a person familiar with his thinking, and he is open to a run.<\/p>\n

The senator has received an outpouring of calls and is in listening mode, said the person, who requested anonymity to discuss Van Hollen\u2019s thoughts on the race.<\/p>\n

Schumer is expected to have enough votes<\/a> to win the closed-ballot election after leading his party to record wins in the election and taking the Senate majority, despite a difficult map for Democrats. But some senators and progressive groups have said there is a need for generational change<\/a> as the party moves forward.<\/p>\n

Secret Service tells journalists at White House to head inside<\/p>\n

Some reporters remained outside doing television live hits, but the rest of the White House press corps was told to head into the briefing room just after 10 a.m. on Monday.<\/p>\n

A Secret Service spokesperson did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the situation. Agents did not appear to have their weapons drawn, which would have indicated officers\u2019 reaction to a possibly imminent threat.<\/p>\n

A video posted to social media around the same time by a reporter appeared to show a vehicle driving into a sign or post on the north end of Lafayette Square, north of the White House. The video showed the driver getting into a physical altercation with U.S. Secret Service officers and National Guard troops after getting out of the car.<\/p>\n

Smoke appeared to rise from the car, which had come to rest on the sidewalk.<\/p>\n

Voters demanded economic relief. Will Trump and Democrats deliver?<\/p>\n

Voters want Trump<\/a> and the new Democratic congressional majority<\/a> to repair the damage inflation has done to the economy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Trump was defiant after Friday\u2019s strong jobs report<\/a> showed the unemployment rate dipping to 4.1%. \u201cDemocrats may control Congress, but I will NEVER stop fighting for you, and I will VETO anything that hurts America,\u201d he texted supporters.<\/p>\n

Democrats are seeking to check Trump\u2019s power<\/a> and are preparing for early fights on government spending. Other challenges include chronic budget deficits, tariffs, artificial intelligence<\/a> and difficult choices about a Social Security system that could run short of money in as little as six years<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But as long as rising prices keep making middle-class lives less affordable<\/a>, Democrats and Republicans risk of angering and alienating voters in the next elections.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

Iranians were put on a US deportation flight before it was canceled, attorney says<\/p>\n

A U.S. deportation flight of at least eight Iranian nationals who were eventually bound for Iran has been abruptly canceled. That\u2019s according to a legal group involved in a pending lawsuit that\u2019s shed some light on the planned deportations.<\/p>\n

Ali Rahnama is an attorney with the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund. He says at least eight Iranians were loaded onto a plane Sunday in Arizona bound for Pakistan.<\/p>\n

The Iranians were told they would then be transported to Iran. But Rahnama says the flight was then canceled without explanation.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security refused to comment on the details of removal operations.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more:<\/a><\/p>\n

The GOP\u2019s to-do list shrinks<\/p>\n

The Republican majority had high hopes for a legislative run to secure party priorities in the final weeks of the session, but those plans now seem doubtful.<\/p>\n

Congress still needs to fund the government by mid-December or risk another federal shutdown if the money lapses.<\/p>\n

It also hopes to pass the annual defense bill, which sets policy for the Pentagon and delivers pay-raises for the troops, and has been approved by Congress essentially every year since World War II. But this year\u2019s package is tangled amid progressive pressure to cut money for the Iran war and military aid to Israel.<\/p>\n

The Senate hopes Monday to launch votes on legislation to speed permitting reviews<\/a> for new energy infrastructure projects after Trump pushed senators to act.<\/p>\n

And there is pressure on the Senate to swiftly confirm Trump\u2019s judicial nominees before Republicans lose control of the chamber in January.<\/p>\n

Republicans hold House and Senate leadership votes this week<\/p>\n

The closed-door meetings could end up being blame-casting sessions about what went wrong in the elections.<\/p>\n

House Republicans are bracing for a contentious leadership battle after Johnson decided to step aside<\/a>, setting up a showdown between the No. 2 Republican, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the brawling former wrestling coach allied with the hard-right conservatives.<\/p>\n

The two men had confronted one another when trying to become House speaker three years ago<\/a>, but neither was able to win enough support from the Republican rank and file, leading to Johnson\u2019s rise. With the House Republican numbers now shrunken, lawmakers could seek wholesale change in leadership.<\/p>\n

In the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune<\/a> is expected to retain his job as Republican leader, though in the minority after Democrats flipped Republican-held seats, including milestone wins in Texas<\/a> and Kansas<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Congressional Democrats are expected to elect leaders this month<\/p>\n

At least two newcomers to the Senate \u2014 Abdul El-Sayed<\/a> of Michigan and Adam Hamilton of Kansas \u2014 have declined to publicly support Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer\u2019s majority leader bid, but no challenger has emerged.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we need somebody who\u2019s going to bring us together … somebody who\u2019s going to come with fresh ideas,\u201d Hamilton said Sunday on CNN.<\/p>\n

Jeffries, on track to make history<\/a> as the nation\u2019s first Black speaker of the House, also faces skepticism.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery single member here is going to have their individual vote,\u201d said Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, at a Capitol press conference Sunday, flanked by newly elected lawmakers, including a handful<\/a> from the Democratic Socialists of America.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we talked about at orientation today was not about any individual person, but about policy,\u201d Casar said. \u201cHow we set a progressive path forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nvidia slumps amid \u2018foreign intelligence\u2019 probe into CEO Jensen Huang<\/p>\n

Shares of Nvidia tumbled 8% at the opening bell Monday after the computer chip maker, central to the artificial intelligence race, opened an investigation into reports that CEO Jensen Huang<\/a> was the \u201ctarget of a foreign intelligence effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nvidia\u2019s announcement Sunday followed Huang\u2019s acknowledgment that he had been intimate with a business executive who, according to The New York Times<\/a>, U.S. intelligence determined was gathering information for China.<\/p>\n

Nvidia chips have been a focus of U.S. export restrictions<\/a> aimed at limiting China\u2019s access to cutting-edge semiconductor technology. China\u2019s Foreign Ministry<\/a> on Monday called the spying allegations<\/a> a smear campaign against Beijing.<\/p>\n

Trump praised Huang on Sunday, even when asked whether he wished he had acted on intelligence when he was briefed about spying: \u201cI think he\u2019s an honorable guy. I think he probably has an excuse for it. He\u2019s done an amazing job for our country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Democrats to control Georgia House for first time since 2004<\/p>\n

Heading into Election Day, Georgia Republicans held a comfortable 99-80 majority in the chamber. But Democrats surged to victory in last week\u2019s election, winning at least 91 seats \u2013 with three still uncalled by the AP.<\/p>\n

Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms also won the governor\u2019s race while Republicans retained the state Senate.<\/p>\n

National Democrats have been targeting the Georgia statehouse for several elections, hoping to gradually chip away at the GOP\u2019s majorities.<\/p>\n

Across the U.S., Democrats flipped control of at least 13 chambers of state legislatures. Not enough races have been called to know for sure who will be in charge in the Alaska Legislature or North Carolina state Senate.<\/p>\n

Kushner says US working hard for \u2018lasting peace\u2019 in Ukraine<\/p>\n

Trump is determined to bring an end to the \u201chorrible\u201d war between Russia and Ukraine.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s according to Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, who\u2019s scheduled to begin talks on Tuesday in the United Arab Emirates with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators. Kushner wrote on social media Monday that he and special envoy Steve Witkoff would meet first with leaders from Ukraine and other European nations.<\/p>\n

Kusher says the U.S. is \u201cworking hard to find a negotiated solution that can deliver lasting peace and create the conditions for a sovereign, secure, and prosperous Ukraine within a more stable European security environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Trump vowed to end the war within 24 hours of starting his second term, the war is nearing its five-year mark.<\/p>\n

Trump defends Hegseth as Democrats say it\u2019s time for him to go<\/p>\n

Trump defended Hegseth to reporters on Sunday night before he flew back to Washington after spending the weekend at his Florida home.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s guilty of two things, basically winning two wars,\u201d Trump said. \u201cI believe we saved the Middle East and Israel combined. And it\u2019s awfully hard to say let\u2019s impeach somebody who did that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Democrats are expected to widely support impeaching him and a number of Republicans have signaled they could join them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution,\u201d House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday on ABC.<\/p>\n

Jeffries said it\u2019s time for Hegseth to go, and that the secretary \u201chas abused his power, undermined our national security and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hegseth impeachment vote tops lame-duck congressional agenda<\/p>\n

The House and Senate are in session for just six short weeks of a lame-duck sprint to finish up the Republican agenda before the the change of power<\/a> on Jan. 3, 2027.<\/p>\n

Leadership elections and a government funding package are all priorities ahead. But a first order of business is expected to be a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie<\/a> pushed the impeachment resolution over the objections of House GOP leadership amid growing momentum to hold Hegseth accountable for the Iran war, which many Republicans blame for the party\u2019s midterm election wipeout.<\/p>\n

House Speaker Mike Johnson<\/a> had tried to prevent an impeachment vote September and abruptly halted proceedings by sending lawmakers home<\/a> early.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear if Johnson will be able to slow the impeachment drive now, unless he decides to adjourn the chamber again.<\/p>\n

Democrat and Republican newcomers on what voters want<\/p>\n

\u201cThis country sent a clear message from coast to coast, and that message is they\u2019ve had enough of what\u2019s gone on,\u201d said Rep.-elect Daniel Biss, D-Ill. \u201cThey\u2019ve had enough of Donald Trump. They\u2019ve had enough of MAGA. And critically, they are ready to transform who holds power, and what they do with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Republican Rep.-elect Chris Stigall of Missouri said voters sent a loud message, \u201cand I hope, as a new member, I can be on the ground level of figuring out how we can reconnect.\u201d<\/p>\n

For starters, he said, the GOP needs to understand that the economy is not where it needs to be. \u201cSix-dollar diesel, I will tell you, for the farmers in my district, that is a tough pill to swallow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Congress returns to changed Washington after GOP\u2019s election wipeout<\/p>\n

Congress is reconvening in a changed Washington<\/a>, with Trump doubling down on his political threats<\/a> despite the landmark GOP losses.<\/a><\/p>\n

The halls of the Capitol will swell this week with the collision of incoming and outgoing lawmakers, as the newcomers attend orientation sessions while the retiring lawmakers start to clear out. It\u2019s creating a jumble of split-screen moments reflective of the new political landscape.<\/p>\n

Dozens of jubilant Democrats, families and suitcases in tow for freshman orientation, appeared emboldened by the party\u2019s sweep of power<\/a>. The trickle of Republicans coming in spoke soberly of the GOP\u2019s vast challenges<\/a> ahead.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s war against Iran not \u2018necessarily popular\u2019 but needed to stop a nuclear threat, Rubio says<\/p>\n

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that Trump launched the war against Iran<\/a> even if it was not \u201cnecessarily popular\u201d to safeguard the world from the country\u2019s nuclear ambitions.<\/p>\n

He would not comment directly about the Republican wipeout in Tuesday\u2019s elections, which delivered a resounding rebuke to Trump. The unpopularity of the Iran war and its impact on gasoline prices<\/a> and other parts of the economy helped Democrats seize control of Congress<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Asked about Vice President JD Vance\u2019s social media post last week that largely blamed the war for the Republican losses<\/a>, Rubio told reporters that Trump \u201cidentified a very real threat\u201d in Iran and worked to stop the Islamic Republic from pursuing a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe addressed it even though oftentimes the right thing to do for the country \u2014 confronting difficult challenges for the security of our country \u2014 doing it isn\u2019t necessarily popular, but necessary,\u201d Rubio said in Florida before heading to a Group of 7 foreign ministers<\/a> meeting in Paris.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

Trump says he was just kidding about making UFC\u2019s Dana White his press secretary<\/p>\n

Trump said Sunday he was only kidding about making UFC boss Dana White<\/a> his next White House press secretary after announcing on social media he had offered his close friend the job.<\/p>\n

After his party\u2019s deep losses in Tuesday\u2019s midterm elections<\/a>, Trump shook up his administration on Friday by replacing his chief of staff and followed up on Saturday with a post that said he had offered the press secretary job to White. On Sunday, Trump said it was \u201cjust a little fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was kidding, but I think Dana likes the idea, and he is a very capable guy,\u201d Trump said, speaking to reporters in Florida before departing for the White House. White is set to visit him at the White House on Monday.<\/p>\n

Trump does not currently have a press secretary after briefly giving the job to Katie Zacharia<\/a>, who faltered behind the lectern and in interviews, and left the post after five days.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

Trump and Justice Department stand defiant as Democrats prepare investigative blitz<\/p>\n

Trump and his Department of Justice are taking a combative stance toward Democrats after their election victories<\/a> in the midterms<\/a>, signaling intense conflict to come as lawmakers prepare aggressive investigations<\/a> into the executive branch next year.<\/p>\n

Trump set the tone, declaring on social media that investigative requests already made by Democrats are \u201cextortion at the highest level, and they should be held accountable.\u201d Attorney General Todd Blanche echoed the Republican president and said criminal investigations of Democrats are possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are not allowed to just go around threatening existing members of the administration, to go around threatening companies, and that\u2019s what President Trump is extremely worried about and he should be,\u201d Blanche said as he and congressional Democrats appeared on the Sunday news shows to discuss the repercussions from last week\u2019s elections.<\/p>\n

Rep. Robert Garcia, who is poised to chair the powerful House Oversight Committee in the next Congress, is preparing investigations into what he calls the \u201cTrump crime family.\u201d He said Democrats are not going to be intimidated.<\/p>\n

Democrats have made clear that impeachment is an option.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

Trump says his deportation policy \u2018might have been too tough\u2019 for voters in the election<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump<\/a>, in his first major interview since his party lost control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections, said he thinks his administration was too aggressive on deportations<\/a> and that he thinks he can work with Democrats in the new Congress on some kind of immigration deal.<\/p>\n

Trump said his deportation policy was part of the reason Republicans lost, telling CBS\u2019s \u201c60 Minutes\u201d in an interview that aired on Sunday: \u201cI think it might be too tough, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that he thinks he could reach an agreement with the new Democratic majority. \u201cThe deal would be we would work something out. And I think it\u2019s something — I think that\u2019s something that\u2019s actually doable,\u201d he said in the interview.<\/p>\n

Trump did not give specifics about what that deal would look like \u2014 and shortly after taping the interview on Friday, Trump named the key architect<\/a> of his hard-line immigration agenda, Stephen Miller, as his new chief of staff.<\/p>\n

\u25b6 Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Congress is reconvening in a changed Washington, with Trump doubling down on his political threats despite the landmark…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":911404,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[4,450,9852,12,451,6009,380966,643,3,111,18604,7072,116294,452,453,795,800,965],"class_list":["post-911403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-breaking-news","tag-breaking-news","tag-breakingnews","tag-dana-white","tag-donald-trump","tag-headlines","tag-jd-vance","tag-katie-zacharia","tag-marco-rubio","tag-news","tag-politics","tag-robert-garcia","tag-stephen-miller","tag-todd-blanche","tag-top-stories","tag-topstories","tag-u-s-news","tag-washington-news","tag-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/911403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=911403"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/911403\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/911404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=911403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=911403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=911403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}