> At a Glance
> – President Trump seized Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro after weekend airstrikes
> – Enhanced ACA subsidies expired, raising premiums for 22 million Americans
> – Funding deadline looms: Jan. 30 to avert second shutdown
>
> Why it matters: Lawmakers return this week juggling war powers, health-care sticker shock, and a possible government closure.
Congress returns from recess to confront a five-issue pile-up that could shape the 2026 midterms, including President Trump’s surprise military move in Venezuela and the lapse of Affordable Care Act subsidies that have already jacked up January premiums for millions.
Health-Care Showdown
A House vote on a three-year ACA extension is slated for this week after four swing-district Republicans joined Democrats to sideline Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. The bill is expected to clear the chamber but faces a dead-end in the Senate, where GOP leaders insist the subsidies should die.
Negotiations have stalled over Republican demands for:
- Eligibility limits
- Anti-fraud safeguards
- Tougher abortion restrictions – a red line for Democrats
If no deal emerges, consumers will pay more, buy skimpier plans, or drop coverage altogether-an outcome Republicans fear could cost them House seats in November.
Government Funding Clock
Nine of the 12 annual appropriations bills remain unfinished; a stop-gap continuing resolution may be needed to keep agencies open past Jan. 30. Senate Democrats say they are unlikely to repeat last fall’s shutdown tactic that tied ACA money to funding talks.
Venezuela Briefings & War Powers Push
Lawmakers expect administration briefings this week on the U.S. operation that captured Maduro. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., plans to force a Senate vote aimed at reclaiming Congress’s constitutional war authority; several Democrats accuse top officials of misleading them ahead of the strikes.
Stock-Trading Ban Momentum
Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., say their Restore Trust in Congress Act has “enormous progress.” A discharge petition filed by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., has 74 signatures; 218 are needed for a guaranteed House vote.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., backs the effort, citing “overwhelming support” for banning congressional stock trades.
AI & Kids Online Safety
More than three dozen states have passed AI rules while federal legislation languishes. Tech firms want a single national standard; Trump’s recent executive order calls for a “minimally burdensome” framework.
A House committee is crafting a narrower package after last session’s Kids Online Safety Act and COPPA 2.0 cleared the Senate 91-3 but died in the GOP House. Prospects under new Republican Senate control remain uncertain.
Key Takeaways
- Jan. 30 funding deadline could force another stop-gap bill
- ACA subsidy lapse already raising 2026 premiums
- Bipartisan push to ban congressional stock trading nears critical mass
- War-powers clash set after Trump’s Venezuela action
- States lead on AI regulation while Congress stalls
With midterms approaching, how lawmakers resolve these fights will likely echo on the campaign trail.
