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All are eyes are on the House of Representatives (again). Hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller discuss the fallout from the Senate passing the budget resolution and gauge its chances in the House. Can Speaker Johnson quell the rising complaints among the Republican Conference and keep the reconciliation process moving forward? Plus, after days of tariff-induced market turmoil, is now the time Congressional Republicans stand up to President Trump? At the end, the rise and fall of the proxy voting discharge petition.   Hosts: Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller Producer: Benji Englander   Articles Discussed: CNN: Senate GOP adopts budget blueprint to advance Trump agenda as spending fight consumes Capitol Hill NBC News: Some House Republicans voice opposition to the Senate's newly adopted budget for Trump's agenda POLITICO: House GOP leaders vow to push forward with budget vote The Hill: 7 GOP senators sign on to bill to check Trump’s trade authority NYT: Johnson Reaches Agreement to Kill Proxy Voting Proposal in the House

It is another make or break week for Congressional Republicans as the Senate tees up a vote on a budget resolution. Hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller are joined by Punchbowl News’ Laura Weiss to answer some big questions about the reconciliation debate. Is the new timeline feasible? How will the two chambers handle different budget instructions? And will the Senate overrule the parliamentarian if need be?   Hosts: Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller Guest: Laura Weiss Producer: Benji Englander   Articles Discussed: Punchbowl: The big moments this week that will define Republicans’ tax plans Politico: Senate GOP to start moving budget plan as soon as Wednesday Politico: ‘Never been done’: Why Republicans might approve a budget whose numbers don’t match up New York Times: A Special Election That Was Supposed to Be a Snoozer Is Suddenly Buzzing NBC News: Inside Trump's shock decision to pull the plug on Elise Stefanik's nomination

The House and Senate return following the passage of a CR, and the next thing on the table is a return to budget reconciliation negotiations. Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller are joined by Liam Donovan, senior political strategist at Bracewell, to talk about where discussions stand, what obstacles remain, and how long this thing may take. Plus what happened with the Democrats on the CR vote, the firestorm its created, and how they try to move forward.    Hosts: Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller Guest: Liam Donovan Producer: Benji Englander Second producer: Regina Anderson   Articles Mentioned: Axios: Behind the Curtain: Dems' dark, deep hole Axios: "They hate us": Democrats confront their own Tea Party The New York Times Opinion: There’s a Price for Promising What Isn’t Possible in Congress The Atlantic: The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans

In this conversation, Nicholas Wu, a seasoned congressional reporter at POLITICO, dives into the fraught landscape of a potential government shutdown. He discusses whether Speaker Johnson can rally votes for a continuing resolution and the contrasting strategies among House and Senate Democrats. Wu also highlights the fallout from the censure of Al Green and what it means for upcoming votes. Finally, he sheds light on how Democrats plan to regroup at their retreat, seeking ways to unite and push through their agenda amidst turbulent political waters.

Before President Trump addresses a Joint Session of Congress, Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller discuss the outlook for his agenda: What are the next steps for reconciliation? Can the Senate make the budget math work? And will a government shutdown get in the way? Then, Seven Letter’s Mike Ricci joins the show to talk about State of the Union responses and Chad Pergram, Fox News Senior Congressional Correspondent, shares his insights based on more than 30 years covering Capitol Hill.    Hosts: Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller Guests: Chad Pergram and Mike Ricci Producer: Benji Englander   Articles Discussed: AP: What’s next for Trump agenda after House GOP approves tax breaks and slashed spending in budget Politico: GOP tax chief voiced ‘huge concern’ over Senate tax plan at White House meeting Politico: Senate Republicans say House budget won’t fly with them Fox News: Reporter's Notebook: All night long CNN: Trump’s speech to Congress will be an explanation of his fast-paced first days in office Roll Call: Slotkin leads return of the national security women for Democrats Axios: Fuming Democrats struggle with Trump speech strategy

After weeks of buildup, the moment of truth arrives – can Speaker Johnson pass the budget resolution? Hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller dive into all the scenarios at play and how the Senate will respond after advancing down their two-bill track. Later, they debate the congressional politics of DOGE and if lawmakers can reassert their power of the purse. At the end, trying to answer the question “who is the leader of the Democratic party?”   Hosts: Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller Producer: Benji Englander   Articles Discussed Brendan’s New York Times Op-Ed on DOGE Punchbowl: Johnson’s task: A tricky budget resolution vote followed by a shutdown fight The Hill: Johnson makes ‘prayer request’ ahead of critical vote on Trump agenda bill AP: Senate Republicans approve budget framework, pushing past Democratic objections after all-night vote WaPo: Back in their districts, GOP lawmakers get an earful on DOGE and Musk New York Times: Bracing for a Shutdown Fight, Democrats Warn Their Votes Are Not a Given Axios: Democrats spot opening to kneecap GOP's budget plans

With the House and Senate on a collision course over reconciliation, hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller explore which strategy has the best chance of success and how some of the wonkier aspects of the process may trip up the GOP’s plans. Then, NBC News’ senior White House correspondent Garrett Haake joins the show to offer his insight on the Trump administration’s early actions, the Trump-Musk relationship, and JD Vance’s role as the “Senate whisperer.”   Hosts: Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller Guest: Garrett Haake Producer: Benji Englander   Articles Discussed Punchbowl: The reconciliation race: Can the House get its act together? Politico: Inside the House GOP clash over tax cuts CBS News: CBS News poll — Trump has positive approval amid "energetic" opening weeks; seen as doing what he promised WaPo: Some Democrats vow to use leverage in government funding fight NBC News: Elon Musk gets quiet White House reminders his power isn't unchecked Politico: JD Vance Aced His First Test. The Next One Will Be Tougher.

What a year the past month has been – to help make sense of the flurry of news over the last two weeks, Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller are joined by POLITICO’s Capitol Bureau Chief Rachael Bade. Together, they discuss the latest on House Republicans’ spending fight, Elon Musk’s influence on the White House, and the outlook for President Trump’s most controversial nominees.   Articles Discussed: Politico: Musk steamrolls Washington as he remakes the federal government NYT: ‘We Have No Coherent Message’: Democrats Struggle to Oppose Trump WaPo: Trump halts tariffs on Canada and Mexico as both offer new border security plans Politico: The GOP’s Unreliable Cutter-in-Chief Reuters: Gabbard boosted in bid to become chief US spy ahead of committee vote Politico: How Trump’s orbit used blunt force to squeeze Hegseth through

President Trump is back in the Oval Office. Hosts Annalyse Keller and Brendan Buck discuss the flurry of activity on Inauguration Day – the speech, the executive orders, the pardons and more – and analyze what it means for Capitol Hill.   Hosts: Annalyse Keller and Brendan Buck Producer: Benji Englander   Articles Discussed: NYT: What Trump Did on Day 1: Tracking His Biggest Moves Politico: Trump closes first day with an avalanche of executive orders

All eyes are on the Senate this week with 13 of President-elect Trump’s nominees slated for confirmation hearings. After first discussing the latest developments on reconciliation, hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller are joined by Annie Karni, congressional correspondent at The New York Times, to assess the state-of-play on some of Trump’s more controversial picks. At the end, what Senator Fetterman was doing at Mar-a-Lago and why have Democrats changed their tune on immigration.   Hosts: Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller Guest: Annie Karni Producer: Benji Englander   Articles Discussed: ABC News: Republicans huddle with Trump in Florida as they plot out GOP agenda Politico: Trump tells House Republicans to find a ‘fair number’ on SALT Politico: House Republicans and Trump discuss tying California wildfire aid to debt ceiling NYT: Fetterman Accepts Trump’s Invitation to Meet WaPo: Democrats warm to Laken Riley bill as Senate to take up measure