A furious Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) challenged his colleagues today to present "one material, meaningful, significant thing the Republican majority has done" that he can take back to his constituents.

• "One thing!" Roy, a Freedom Caucus conservative, bellowed on the House floor. "One!"

Why it matters: House Republicans' decision to head home early for Thanksgiving recess will give Washington ample time to reflect on Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) three weeks in office, which have been haunted by the same bitter GOP divisions that felled his predecessor.

Driving the news: Johnson successfully punted the next government shutdown deadline into early 2024 — but, like former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), infuriated conservatives in the process by relying heavily on Democratic votes.

• In retaliation, 19 GOP hardliners rebelled to defeat a procedural vote on the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations bill — prompting Johnson to cancel remaining votes and send everyone home.
• It's a strange predicament to be in for a MAGA-aligned Republican who describes himself as an "arch conservative," but one that perfectly captures the consistently ungovernable nature of the GOP conference.

The big picture: Johnson's first week was undoubtedly a successful one, as his election fueled a surge in GOP fundraising and the House passed an Israel aid package paired with cuts to IRS funding.

• Since then, GOP leadership has been forced to pull three votes on appropriations bills due to threats from both the moderate and conservative wings of the party.
• There's been no floor action on a bill funding the Department of Agriculture and the FDA, after moderates tanked a vote in September over language restricting access to abortion pills.
• The Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill also appears to be in limbo, with Johnson opting to regroup after Thanksgiving rather than risk another embarrassing defeat on the House floor.

What they're saying: After losing 95 Republicans on yesterday's vote to keep the government funded, Johnson defended his leadership and insisted that his novel "two-step" stopgap approach would be a victory for conservatives.

• "I've been at the job less than three weeks, right?" he said. "I can't turn an aircraft carrier overnight."
• "It should be obvious to anyone who is watching that House Republicans are unable to govern on their own, period, full stop," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) countered.

What to watch: There are just 21 legislative days until the next government funding deadline on Jan. 19, and Johnson — who has vowed not to pass another short-term spending bill — is quickly burning political capital.

The bottom line: The lingering scars from the GOP's speaker vacancy have afforded Johnson additional job security, but his honeymoon period has otherwise come to a screeching halt.

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President Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping today at the historic Filoli estate south of San Francisco, where a meticulously choreographed public appearance kicked off their first conversation since last November.

Why it matters: Both leaders are intent on stabilizing U.S.-China relations, which saw tensions escalate after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) visit to Taiwan in August 2022 and the February downing of a Chinese spy balloon that flew over the continental U.S.

What they're saying: "For two large countries like China and the United States, turning their back on each other is not an option," Xi — whose attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic summit marks his first to the U.S. in six years — told Biden.

• "It is unrealistic for one side to remodel the other, and conflict and confrontation has unbearable consequences for both sides," he said, making a veiled reference to U.S. attempts to curtail Beijing's human rights abuses, military aggression and coercive economic practices.
• "Planet Earth is big enough for the two countries to succeed, and one country's success is an opportunity for the other."

Biden, for his part, remarked on how long he's known Xi and repeated the administration's long-standing position that U.S.-China competition must not "veer into conflict."

• "I value our conversation because I think it's paramount that you and I understand each other clearly, leader to leader, with no misconceptions or miscommunication," he told Xi.
• The two leaders emerged from their four-hour meeting with agreements to resume military-to-military communications and crack down on China's illicit fentanyl production and export.

1 fun thing: On the menu for the U.S.-China working lunch:

• Herbed ricotta ravioli
• Artichoke crisps
• Tarragon roasted heritage chicken
• Carolina gold rice pilaf
• Charred broccolini and Brussels sprouts
• Almond meringue cake
• Praline buttercream
• Concord grape sauce

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said today he's "absolutely" considering a presidential campaign, telling NBC News that it depends on whether he can "reinvigorate" the "moderate, sensible, commonsense middle."

Why it matters: Manchin's retirement dealt a huge blow to Democrats' chances of holding the Senate in 2024. But perhaps more importantly, it raised the prospect that he would run on a third-party presidential ticket that the White House fears could siphon votes away from Biden.

• Some Manchin confidants expect him to tour the country and flirt with a White House bid for a few months. For now, they aren't convinced he'll actually pull the trigger, Axios' Hans Nichols reports.
• Manchin told NBC he hasn't set a deadline for himself, but suggested he will decide around Super Tuesday on March 5 whether there's public appetite for a campaign.

What they're saying: The centrist Democrat rejected the notion that he would be a "spoiler" candidate, stressing: "I'm totally, absolutely scared to death that Donald Trump would become president again. I think we will lose democracy as we know it."

By the numbers: A majority of voters say they would like to see additional candidates enter the presidential race, including 72% of independents, according to a national Quinnipiac poll released today.

One day after feuding lawmakers made Congress look like Wrestlemania, the creator of "The People's Elbow" sent members, law enforcement and the media into a frenzy by showing up on Capitol Hill.

• Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson met with senators in Majority Whip Dick Durbin's (D-Ill.) office to discuss military recruitment efforts and the XFL, the professional football league he co-owns.
• Also spotted on the Hill: critically acclaimed director Christopher Nolan.

Related read: The Washington Post's David Von Drehle has a timely piece arguing that The Rock — who recently claimed "the parties" approached him last year about running for president — is the unity candidate America needs.