Republican leaders’ ambitions to advance major legislative priorities before the end of the congressional session are fading fast after the party’s sweeping election losses. With Democrats now holding a stronger hand in both chambers, Senate Republicans acknowledge their pre-election plans to push through a sweeping budget reconciliation package face growing obstacles. The shift in political momentum has left GOP aides questioning whether any significant legislation can still clear Congress before the new year. The reality of a divided government is reshaping what was once seen as a final push for key Trump-era policies.
Republicans’ hopes of finishing a big chunk of President Trump’s agenda in the lame-duck session of Congress are rapidly deflating in the wake of the blow-out losses their party suffered in Tuesday’s election, say Republican aides on Capitol Hill. Senate Republican sources say the bold talk before Election Day of ramming a budget reconciliation package...
