Election Aftermath on Capitol Hill

The House and Senate return today and will be in town for the next two weeks. Most of the focus will be on organizing for the 120^th Congress, even while some races (such as in Mississippi and North Carolina) remain uncalled.

Republicans plan to hold leadership elections on Tuesday, November 10 for both the House and Senate for the 120^th Congress. House Speaker Johnson (R-LA) is not running for Minority Leader. House Majority Leader Scalise (R-LA) and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jordan (R-OH) will compete for the Minority Leader role in a closed door vote. Some Senate Republicans, including Sen. Johnson (R-WI) are pushing to delay Senate leadership elections to give the party more time to discuss the election results. Senate Majority Leader Thune (R-SD) is anticipated to run for the Minority Leader role uncontested.

House Democrats will hold leadership elections next week, and the House will vote for the next Speaker, widely expected to be House Minority Leader Jeffries (D-NY) on January 3. Senate Democrats have not yet announced when their leadership elections will occur. Minority Leader Schumer (D-NY) is expected to continue to lead Democrats in the Senate, despite rumblings of newly elected Senators supporting other candidates.

Amidst all of this, committee action will pick back up, although there are no health care hearings currently scheduled. Some Senate committees will also hold non-health care nomination hearings, as Republicans aim to push some nominations across the finish line before Democrats take control in 2027.

The key item to keep an eye on this week as it relates to health care is whether there seems to be momentum for bipartisan work during the lame duck. Government funding runs through December 11, 2026, and key health care programs, including funding for community health centers, will expire at the end of December. Given Democrats will be in control next year, and their margins in the House and Senate will be larger than anticipated, bipartisan legislating during lame duck will likely be more challenging. Democrats know that they’ll have sizeable majorities to work with in the new Congress, which means they are likely to get more of what they want then, than they are now.

To hear more about the election results’ impact on health policy, join us on Tuesday, November 10 at 3:00pm ET for a webinar where we will break down key House and Senate outcomes. If you did not receive this Preview in your inbox but would like to receive it most Mondays, subscribe here.

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