Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) laid out a few specific policies he and some of Congress' other leading progressives are likely to demand when the next U.S. Congress begins its term.

The big picture: Khanna wants Congress to deliver more direct aid to Americans in the form of $2,000 monthly checks and to provide $1 trillion over 10 years in loans and grants to small businesses but is also taking aim at the Fed, arguing that the central bank has gone astray of its original intent to help small businesses and community banks.

In a vote of 223-205, the House of Representatives on Tuesday night approved a resolution calling on Vice President Pence to remove President Trump from office by invoking the 25 Amendment.

Why it matters: The resolution — introduced by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) — is highly symbolic, as it does not bind Pence to take action, but it looks to pressure the vice president.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) told the Washington Post Friday that he would "absolutely not" support passing a round of $2,000 stimulus checks as a first priority, a key component of President-elect Joe Biden's economic revival plans.

The latest: A spokesperson clarified Manchin's comments after the Post story published Friday, saying the senator is not drawing a red line against $2,000 checks — only that it should be the first priority, as Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has stated.

President-elect Joe Biden's final burst of Cabinet picks could have important roles to play in the new administration's climate change and energy agenda.

Driving the news: Biden plans to nominate Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo for Commerce, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh for Labor, and Judge Merrick Garland for attorney general.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday called for firing Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mike Stenger when Democrats take the majority in the upper chamber — if Stenger has not already resigned.

Why it matters: Lawmakers are beginning to question how Capitol law enforcement and security so utterly failed on Wednesday to keep "March for Trump" protesters from invading the U.S. Capitol as Congress was certifying the Electoral College votes for Presisdent-elect Joe Biden.

Congress in the wee hours of Thursday morning voted down an objection made in joint session to certifying Pennsylvania's Electoral College votes.

Why it matters: Prior to Wednesday’s mob violence in the U.S. Capitol, over a dozen senators said they would object to certifying some states' results. But multiple senators have since withdrawn their support for those objections.

The House and Senate on Wednesday voted down Sen. Ted Cruz's objection to Arizona in the Electoral College certification process.

Driving the news: More than a dozen senators said before Wednesday’s mob violence in the U.S. Capitol that they’d object, but only six ended up voting yes. The House vote was 303-121.

Vice President Mike Pence addressed the reconvened Senate Wednesday evening after hours of pro-Trump protests at the U.S. Capitol building — prompting evacuations and halting the congressional count of Electoral College votes.

What he's saying: "Today was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol ... We condemn the violence that took place here in the strongest possible terms ... To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today, you did not win. Violence never wins. Freedom wins and this is still the people's house," Pence said.

There are lots of energy policy implications if Democrats have indeed pulled off a surprising sweep of Georgia's Senate races that hands them both chambers of Congress. As of 10am Wednesday, Raphael Warnock has defeated Kelly Loeffler, and Jon Ossoff is on track to beat David Perdue.

The big picture: Senate rules work against moving big bills without a supermajority (a topic we explored yesterday). But that said, the party in power controls the agenda and has some room to maneuver even with the thinnest possible margin.

Consumer sentiment has increased consistently since the passage and signing of the latest coronavirus relief bill, new surveys show.

Driving the news: Morning Consult's Index of Consumer Sentiment rose 1.51 points from the prior week to 87.74.