Republicans’ legislative to-do list grows as time runs short; GOP faces daunting post-election test as grip on Congress nears end, headlines

Congressional clock is ticking

Republicans are bracing for a long list of priorities as the clock runs down before a Democratic takeover of Congress. The roundup frames the transition as a test for the party as its grip on Congress nears an end.

President Trump responded to Vice President JD Vance’s blunt account of the Republican midterm defeat. Separately, a Democrat poised to chair a Department of Homeland Security funding panel outlined his position on deportations.

Election reactions and debate

Trump said immigration enforcement may have been too tough during his first interview since the midterms. He also defended the Iran war, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it necessary despite its unpopularity.

Other political coverage included a message from a Florida politician to the GOP after the midterms and an argument that voters sent two messages. A column also called on Congress to address foreign investors’ use of U.S. taxpayer funds.

Other stories in the roundup

The headlines included reports of fake federal agents persuading seniors to convert savings into gold bars for couriers, and a Secret Service arrest near the White House involving an armed Venezuelan migrant accused of making a threat against Trump. Other reports covered a charged Dallas investigator, a small plane striking a pickup during an emergency landing in Florida, and two skydivers who died after a midair collision. The roundup also featured stories about weight-loss drugs and lean body mass, a Navy veteran’s parole concerns, and arrests at a Turning Point USA event in New Mexico.