The battle for control of the U.S. Senate has triggered unprecedented fundraising at the congressional level, with one Democratic candidate out-raising Al Gore in his presidential race just 20 years ago.
By the numbers: The top 10 Senate fundraisers in 2020 brought in more than double the money raised by the top 10 campaigns in 2018, raking in over $1 billion collectively, according to data filed with the Federal Election Commission by Dec. 24.
Jake Auchincloss said being sworn into the U.S. House today reminded him of reporting to Quantico for Marine duty a decade ago, but instead of contemplating a foreign enemy, he had to navigate one he couldn't see: the coronavirus.
Why it matters: The 32-year-old freshman from Massachusetts offered fresh eyes to commonplace routines for Washington veterans. He stood in awe of a Capitol painting and wide-eyed in its gilded rooms, gave his lone guest pass to his father, and reported for COVID testing before the House proceedings.
President Trump’s caught-on-tape effort to bully the Georgia secretary of state shows that the powers Trump used to cajole his way to the top of business — and into the presidency — are now failing him in his White House final days.
Why it matters: “The clock is ticking," a longtime friend and Trump adviser told me. "The only thing that has made it sound more desperate is he knows that come Wednesday, it’s game over. The closer he gets to [Congress accepting the Electoral College vote], the more desperate he's getting.”
House Democrats plan to reintroduce nine of their most-favored bills during the 117th Congress that began today, but how far the legislation gets will hinge on the outcome of the Georgia Senate races later this week.
Why it matters: Today was filled with pomp and circumstance, including Nancy Pelosi winning another term as House speaker after some recently COVID-positive members came into the chamber to vote in her favor. But whether Republicans maintain the Senate or Democrats win a narrow majority will determine if she and President-elect Joe Biden can enact their agendas.
All 10 living former Defense secretaries, including Dick Cheney and James Mattis, warned that involving the U.S. military in election disputes would take the country into "dangerous" territory, in a Washington Post op-ed on Sunday.
Why it matters: The secretaries' urging that the "time for questioning the results" of the 2020 election has passed comes as a growing number of Republican senators join House Republicans in plans to object to certifying Joe Biden's win through the Electoral College.
Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was reelected as Speaker of the House at the start of the new session of Congress on Sunday.
Why it matters: Pelosi had little wiggle room to lose votes from members of her party, as absences from the coronavirus pandemic complicated the matter. She needed the majority of votes from lawmakers present in the chamber.
President Trump on Saturday tried to convince Georgia's Republican Secretary of State to "find 11,780 votes" — enough to overturn Joe Biden's win in the state — in an hourlong phone call obtained by the Washington Post.
Why it matters: Trump's personal appeal to Brad Raffensperger, which included suggesting that the secretary of state could face legal trouble if he did not take action on Trump's grievances, comes as several Senate Republicans plan to object to certifying election results in a last-ditch effort to support the president's unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.
Most of the 12 Republican senators who said on Saturday they will object to certifying state Electoral College votes on Wednesday skipped invitations from news shows to appear on Sunday.
Driving the news: "State of the Union" anchor Jake Tapper said all 12 senators declined or failed to respond to an invitation to explain their objection to certification on CNN. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro also said the senators all declined invitations to appear on "Weekend Edition."
Here's the thinking of Republicanswho plan to object Wednesday to certifying the Electoral College victory of President-elect Biden — a band that's up to a dozen senators and at least 140 House members, backed by Vice President Pence.
The big picture: They know there's no state where the results are in any kind of doubt, and they know their protests won't change the outcome.
Why it matters: Every day brings raw, even shocking new evidence that November's election, despite a clear result, did nothing to tame the turmoil in torn America.
New Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi declared a "fiscal emergency" and ordered the island's Department of Justice to step up anti-corruption efforts Saturday — hours after being sworn in, per Bloomberg.
Why it matters: Puerto Rico has experienced a tumultuous period politically and economically, with three governors in four years and a billion-dollar public debt.
Vice President Mike Pence indicated his support Saturday for a group of Republican senators planning to object to certifying state Electoral College votes on Jan. 6.
Details: Pence's chief of staff Marc Short issued a statement to news outlets that the vice president "shares" concerns on voter fraud, though he did not cite any specific evidence.
