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Today’s newsletter is 1,058 words — a 4-minute read.

The new blue Congress could put the brakes on President Trump's construction spree in D.C. — and give Mayor-elect Janeese Lewis George powerful allies on the Hill.

Why it matters: The national rebuke of President Trump has big impacts for hometown D.C.

🤝 State of play: D.C.'s leaders are upbeat about a friendlier Congress after years of antagonism (remember last year when Republicans blocked the city from spending $1 billion of its own money?).

• Democrats will retake the House Oversight Committee, replacing Kentucky Republican James Comer, who led efforts to overturn D.C. laws.
• A Democratic Congress could guard the city's autonomy and advance Lewis George's priorities. JLG wants Congress to fund more D.C. judges, so that criminal cases and landlord-tenant disputes don't face delays.
• Their legislating might also produce federal grants — say, for housing or climate goals — that would pad D.C.'s budget.

💰 Follow the money: Minding that money will likely be Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who's bidding to chair the all-important House Appropriations Committee.

• Observers see DeLauro as a friend to local D.C.; way back, she helped former Mayor Anthony Williams climb the political ladder.

Incoming D.C. Del. Robert White tells Axios he'll draft a proposal that would help the city recover from DOGE — the same way towns that lose military bases get relief packages.

• "We're going to look at innovative ways to see if we can incentivize businesses to relocate to D.C.," White adds.

🏗️ On the ground, Democrats could use their new power to slow Trump's construction spree, including by challenging projects like the East Wing ballroom over their lack of congressional approval.

• Democrats will also gain influence on the Trump-loyalist-heavy National Capital Planning Commission, replacing two Republicans on the federal panel that Trump has used to remake Washington.

Zoom in: Lewis George says she's already established ties with Hakeem Jeffries, who's poised to become House speaker.

• There's a hint of caution in JLG's strategy: She told reporters on Tuesday night that she'll give Jeffries a heads-up for any local proposals that might "even ruffle some Republican feathers."
• "It's not about running [my ideas] through Congress," Lewis George elaborated yesterday. "It's about making sure the Democrats in Congress know what the District is doing, so they are best equipped to defend us."

🔮 What's ahead: She believes closer ties will set up the "groundwork" to push for statehood in 2028.

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Mayor-elect Janeese Lewis George wants to take a "desk-by-desk" look inside some city agencies to find ways to cut costs and make government services run more efficiently.

Why it matters: Don't call it a DOGE — the left is trying to embrace government efficiency (see: Zohran Mamdani's push to speed up NYC's bureaucracy).

🔬 The big picture: After 12 years of the Bowser administration, Lewis George wants a "forensic analysis" of the city's budget.

• Her team has discussed conducting a "desk audit in certain agencies, to go desk-by-desk and see, 'What is your job? What do you do?'"
• Finding savings and cutting red tape could help her pay for and deliver on ambitious campaign promises, like a child care expansion.
• She fleshed out her thinking on the cost-cutting measures Wednesday, after unveiling a jobs portal to build a "People's Government."
• Details of the potential audits are TBD.

Friction point: Labor unions propelled Lewis George into office, so she may have to walk a fine line when it comes to cutting public jobs.

📝 Zoom out: Mamdani's Commission on Government Efficiency (COGE) has sought to streamline approvals for things like outdoor dining and bus lanes, the NY Times reports.

• Lewis George also wants to speed up D.C.'s permitting process, bemoaning Wednesday that some businesses are "waiting for permits for seven months."
• Faster permitting could also help advance her proposal to build 72,000 new homes.

Georgetown is already D.C.'s hottest dining neighborhood du jour — but it's about to get a lot spicier.

Driving the news: Spicewalla, a technicolor spice bazaar, opens its first brick-and-mortar shop outside of Asheville on Friday.

• It's the latest local venture from James Beard Award-winning chefs Meherwan and Molly Irani, behind Union Market's Chai Pani and just-opened Botiwalla in Tenleytown.

The vibe: "A magic spice fairy cave wonderland experience," Irani tells Axios.

• The colorful marketplace is stocked with freshly roasted and ground spices, dish-ready blends and new kits for recreating Chai Pani's famous butter chicken and saag.
• About half the shop is devoted to goodies from small Southeast producers, including hot sauces, chocolates, condiments and more.

The intrigue: Irani launched Spicewalla after opening Chai Pani in Asheville, building a wholesale business that now supplies around 3,000 restaurants and markets.

• Its retail side took off during the pandemic, and the appetite hasn't cooled.
• Irani says shoppers increasingly crave experiences and connection — which Spicewalla delivers through demos, cooking classes and events.

If you go...

💼 Almost three-quarters of former federal employees said they left their jobs due to pressure, incentives or involuntary separation, despite the Trump administration classifying many departures as "voluntary," per a new survey. The main reason for leaving: Politicization of said jobs. (Federal News Network)

🚨 Police arrested a D.C. man near the White House on Monday after National Guard troops say he pointed a "finger gun" at them, the latest incident between locals and Guard members. (Washington Post)

💰 The first two condos have sold at Georgetown's new Four Seasons Private Residences: One for $6.9 million, another for $10.8 million, both all-cash. TBD whether the project, located in the former West Heating Plant, is ready for move-in. (Washington Business Journal)

Former CBS White House Correspondent Bill Plante's Georgetown home is for sale for $3.5 million.

Why it matters: Plante, who died in 2022, was a CBS journalist for over 50 years and a former White House Correspondents' Association president.

State of play: The four-bedroom, four-bath home has three stories across 4,735 square feet of space, per the listing.

• Plus: A terrace and gardens with a water feature and 1,200-bottle wine cellar created by Plante, known as the White House Press Corps "sommelier."

📺 Cuneyt is watching more of the "War" series.

🙌 Mimi is finally seeing the Nathan Fielder documentary!

🚤 Anna is on vacation.

Today's newsletter was edited by Alexa Mencia Orozco.