Opinion · 119th Congress
Connecting the dots on the economy
From the end of December 2025 through the first week of February 2026, prices dipped slightly below $3 for the first time since 2021, measurable progress.
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From the end of December 2025 through the first week of February 2026, prices dipped slightly below $3 for the first time since 2021, measurable progress.
↵↵More than the usual amount of arm-twisting was sometimes required for the year's significant legislation, including on votes setting up floor consideration of the fiscal 2026 defense authorization and
After President Donald Trump said he supported year-round E15, lawmakers tried to attach a bill that would allow year-round E15 sales to fiscal 2026 spending bills.
↵↵His four defeats were on a series of amendments to the fiscal 2026 Energy-Water appropriations bill, where his proposed cuts to four regional federal-state partnerships that fund infrastructure projects
↵↵Republicans have sought to blame Democrats for the current partial shutdown because of their refusal to back DHS funding as part of the broader fiscal 2026 appropriations law.
↵↵ICE has a $38.3 billion plan to acquire "non-traditional facilities" such as warehouses, to increase bed capacity to 92,600 by the end of fiscal 2026, according to another ICE memo released by Ayotte
↵↵The administration's repeal releases auto manufacturers from federal regulations that were designed to bring about a nearly 50 percent reduction in fleet-wide emissions by 2032 compared with 2026.
Congressional earmarks returned with a vengeance in fiscal 2026, with familiar faces topping the rankings in each chamber.
↵↵Lawmakers included a slate of restrictions on pharmacy benefit managers in the fiscal 2026 appropriations law enacted late last month.
Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., touted changes in the fiscal 2026 spending package enacted this month to improve pharmacy-benefit manager pricing transparency and reduce incentives for PBMs to promote higher-priced
↵↵"This is perfect for 2026, because I'm running," she says in the clip.
The Senate plans to take up the package next week to meet a Jan. 30 deadline, but a potential snowstorm could present a hurdle.
↵↵Political theater: Mary Ellen joined Roll Call Editor-in-Chief Jason Dick on the Political Theater podcast to discuss the news-heavy first few weeks of 2026 and which stories could be meaningful in November
"We live in 2026."↵↵Rasmussen, who was in Washington for initial but brief negotiations with the White House last week, welcomed Trump stating clearly that U.S. military action was off the table.
↵↵On Capitol Hill, lawmakers have largely been focused on wrapping up the fiscal 2026 spending bills ahead of a Jan. 30 deadline. But voters continue expressing concerns about the economy.
↵↵In 2026, he sees a Democratic Party that will sometimes be able to win the presidency, but will struggle in its current form with the Senate and even House maps.
The House aims to finish its work on fiscal 2026 appropriations bills this week, after releasing a four-bill package early Tuesday headlined by funding for the Pentagon and the Department of Health and
Chick painting, Clinton no-shows, Minneapolis, and Greenland highlight this week's photos of the week by CQ Roll Call’s photojournalists.
The Senate cleared a roughly $180 billion, three-bill spending package for President Donald Trump's signature Thursday, marking a halfway point in completing long-delayed fiscal 2026 appropriations.
↵↵Particularly challenging for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., will be to push through the fiscal 2026 Homeland Security spending bill, which hit a snag following