President Joe Biden’s party got a boost over the weekend after learning he will retain control of the Senate for the next two years, while control of the House of Representatives is still up in the air as votes are counted after Tuesday’s midterm elections. But Democrats avoided a dreaded midterm showdown and will try to make the most of their slim majorities in both houses before the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3, a period known as the “lame duck” session. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen both said tackling the nation’s looming debt ceiling would be a priority during the session. Some Republicans have threatened to use the next increase in the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, due in the first quarter of 2023, as leverage to force concessions from Biden. Yellen warned in an interview with Reuters on Saturday that failure to act would pose a “tremendous threat” to America’s creditworthiness and the functioning of financial markets. Pelosi, who would lose her seat as speaker if Republicans win a majority in the House, told ABC News on Sunday that the best way to tackle the debt ceiling is to “do it now.” “My hope would be that we could do it with the lame duck,” Pelosi said. “We should, again, lift the debt ceiling to honor the full faith and trust of the United States.” Biden told reporters over the weekend that he would wait to speak with Republican leadership before deciding on any priorities, adding that he planned to “take it slow.” Congress has a long to-do list in the coming weeks. He faces a Dec. 16 deadline to pass either a temporary funding bill to keep state services fully operational until early next year, or a measure to keep the lights on until Sept. 30, the end of the current fiscal year . Failure to enact one of them will lead to a partial government shutdown. [1/5] Members-elect of the upcoming 118th Congress arrive at the U.S. Capitol building for orientation in Washington, U.S., November 14, 2022. REUTERS/Leah Millis The House has already passed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage, and the Senate was poised, just this week, to pass a slightly different version of the “Respect of Marriage Act.” The bill is meant to ensure the US Supreme Court does not end same-sex marriage rights, which conservative Justice Clarence Thomas thought was possible when the court in June ended the nation’s right to abortion. Another high-priority issue is a bipartisan bill that would reform the way Congress certifies presidential elections to prevent a repeat of the violence of the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump who wanted to prevent lawmakers to certify Biden’s victory. Democratic leaders also aim to pass legislation to fast-track permits for energy projects and provide more economic and military support to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. Some Republicans have expressed reluctance to provide more financial support to Ukraine. Progressive Democrats have reined in the prospect of the administration speeding up the energy licensing process, thereby encouraging the flow of fossil fuels into the market, even as Biden tries to meet tough goals to reduce the effects of climate change. Biden has suggested that the authorization reform could be included in the National Defense Authorization Act, the annual military funding bill that typically receives strong bipartisan support. But retaining the Senate majority for the next two years means there will be less pressure on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to confirm as many of Biden’s nominees to federal judicial posts as possible before the end of the year. There are 57 judicial nominees pending before the Senate, with 25 already approved by the Judiciary Committee and awaiting action by the full House. The Senate has already confirmed 84 of Biden’s judicial nominees, allowing him to essentially match Trump’s near-record number of appointments over four years as he worked to move the judiciary to the right. Report by Moira Warburton and Richard Cowan. Additional reporting by David Lawder in New Delhi, Nandita Bose in Phnom Penh, and Trevor Hunnicutt, Doina Chiacu and Susan Heavey in Washington. Editing by Scott Malone, Alistair Bell and Daniel Wallis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
