WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress returns to a changed Washington as the newly elected President Donald Trump’s The far-right’s agenda is rapidly taking shape and is supported by eager Republican allies seeking a full solution. power scan Democrats are on Capitol Hill trying to figure out what went wrong.

Even as final election results are still being counted, House and Senate leadership are moving toward a second term for Trump and what he calls “the White House.” “authority” to manage, mass deportations, deregulation and wholesale destruction of industry of the federal government.

Trump is already testing the norms of governance during this presidential transition; He urges the Senate to give up its role of advice and consent and simply Accept his cabinet candidates – and he recruitment of personnel for management and finding lawmakers willing to bend these civic traditions.

“Trump will do the deportations, the drilling, the wall — we will all have to come together,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a conservative member of the House Freedom Caucus.

But first, House and Senate leaders will hold intraparty elections for their respective jobs this week. Many top Republican leaders depend on Trump for their political livelihood and have worked for it. Get closer to the president-elect To strengthen loyalty.

Speaker of the Assembly mike johnsonTrump, who is on the verge of retaining a slim majority in the chamber because it is too early for several House races, will gather his leadership team on the Capitol steps early Tuesday to take a victory lap and set the agenda.

Three Republican senators in the Senate, where Republicans took power from Democrats on election night Running to be the next leader of the GOP They immediately agreed with Trump’s plan to quickly confirm presidential nominees.

“When Congress returns to Washington, prepare the senate GOP Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, who is seeking the leadership job, wrote in an opinion piece on Fox News: “To advance this agenda legally and get to work quickly, with the next president’s appointees confirmed as quickly as possible.” .

All told, when Trump returns to the White House in January with a potential GOP-led Congress far less skeptical or wary of his approach than the eight-year-old, that means a fundamental reshaping not just of the centers of power in Washington but of the rules of governance. It’s coming. years ago and was much more willing to support it.

“This is going to be a very challenging time,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

He described the “terrible immigration policies” Trump promised voters and insisted that progressives in Congress would maintain “effective control” of the new White House, as he did by fighting Democrats’ efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act in his first term. and other policies.

At the same time, Jayapal warned that Trump would have “far fewer restrictions.”

“Our members are ready to start fighting again,” he said, standing next to a handful of newly elected progressive lawmakers he called “bright lights” attending the convention.

The first tests will come during this period “lame duck” This is the remaining days of Congress, the eight-week period until January 3, 2025, when new lawmakers will be sworn into office.

As lawmakers return this week, they will be joined by dozens of newcomers from the House and Senate who are in town for orientation weeks for freshmen and special leadership elections scheduled for Wednesday.

But Republican senators are protesting the new election of one of their own. Dave McCormick Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of Pennsylvania is being kept out of orientation week because there are still uncounted ballots in his race. Schumer’s office said it is customary to wait until all ballots are counted.

The Senate leadership race to replace outgoing GOP Leader Mitch McConnell is turning into a test of Trump’s loyalty; The president-elect’s allies (including billionaire Elon Musk and influencers like Make America Great Again) are pushing senators to choose Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.

But Scott has not been the most popular candidate for the leadership position, and senators have been rallying around two “Johns” – Thune, the GOP’s second-ranking leader, and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. The outcome of the private vote held behind closed doors on Wednesday is highly uncertain.

In the House of Representatives, some conservative Republicans are quietly suggesting that their own leadership elections should be postponed until the final results of the House races are clear. Democrats will hold House and Senate leadership elections later.

Johnson wants to keep the speaker’s gavel and told colleagues in a letter last week that he was ready to “go out on the field” with them to deliver Trump’s agenda. But he is expected to face his critics behind closed doors.

While Johnson will need a simple majority in Wednesday’s special vote to become the GOP presidential nominee, he will need a 218-member majority in a full House vote in January.

This week’s low vote totals will show how influential members of the Freedom Caucus and others were as much as they pressured the then-Speaker to extract concessions from Johnson. Kevin McCarthy There will be a long-term vote on the gavel in 2023.

Although Johnson has predicted that next year will usher in the “most important” presidency and Congress of modern times, this year he has struggled to lead Republicans who have refused to go along with the plans, forcing the speaker to frequently partner with Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Johnson’s troubles stem in part from his slim majority, but that could continue if Trump continues to appeal to House Republicans. fill his administration. Trump already asked Rep. Elise StefanikRY will be ambassador to the United Nations and Representative. Mike WaltzHe tapped R-Fla., R-Fla., as his national security adviser.

“We’re pretty much maxed out,” said Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas. “Everyone understands this.”

In the coming weeks, Congress faces another Dec. 20 deadline to fund the federal government or risk a shutdown, and conservatives are doubling down on Johnson to not give in to demands to cut spending.

The House and Senate will also consider replenishing the Disaster Relief Fund to help provide relief after hurricanes Helen And Milton

As President Joe Biden prepares to leave and Democrats relinquish their hold on the Senate, there will be pressure to confirm more judicial nominees and get other bills out the door that could become law before Trump takes office.

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Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Farnoush Amiri, Mary Clare Jalonick and Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

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