Last Week in Congress

Don't mistake a lame duck for a sitting duck. With the December 11 funding deadline looming and a new Congress taking office in January, lawmakers are gearing up for a final flurry of funding fights, legislative maneuvering, and political positioning. From federal education funding and agency restructuring to special education legislation and shifting committee leadership, we break down what to watch as the 119th Congress races toward the finish line.

Our Magic 8-ball has requested administrative leave. After months of polling, fundraising texts, and increasingly creative definitions of “toss-up,” voters have delivered something considerably clearer: a change in congressional control.

Democrats are projected to take both the House and Senate. For education, that means new committee chairs, different spending priorities, and a substantial change in who gets asked to explain themselves under oath. The Department of Education and Department of Justice may want to start organizing their documents.

Members of Congress remain focused on tomorrow’s midterms. Our Magic 8-ball is hiding, too stressed out from texts asking for just $5 to help out with campaigns. Instead, we’re turning our focus this week to acknowledge the departure of six generational heavyweights from Congress. Representatives Jerry Nadler (D-NY; Judiciary), Steny Hoyer (D-MD; Appropriations), and Burgess Owens (R-UT; Education and Workforce), and Senators Dick Durbin, Mitch McConnell, and Jeanne Shaheen, are all leaving Congress at the end of their current terms.