3 things to watch as Congress winds down the year

For more political coverage and analysis, subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our weekly political newsletter, here.

The last leaves are falling here in the Washington, DC area. The halls of Congress empty and echoes. The holiday decorations will soon sparkle and shine in this building.

But the reality is that the next few weeks will be politically eventful and fraught with danger.

Here are three things to watch as we head into the remainder of 2025.

1. Discuss health care

Watch the clip in the player above.

Millions of Americans face increases in health care premiums in the next few months, due to the end of subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans, which were put in place in the Covid era.

Our Minister William Brangham hosted a good discussion of the rough divide here: Should the nation expand those subsidies and maintain the Affordable Care Authority formula, which works with insurance companies, or get rid of that structure and move toward direct payments to individuals.

This is a complex question. This comes with difficult politics, especially for House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose conference is divided on the issue. The president appears ready to delve into the matter, but has yet to offer a clear plan. And the clock is ticking.

2. Resignation of Marjorie Taylor Greene

Watch the clip in the player above.

The congresswoman from central Georgia has never been camera shy. But shortly before announcing her resignation, she canceled a scheduled interview with us.

She has not appeared on the airwaves since.

Her last day is January 5. As noted elsewhere, this comes one day before the anniversary of the January 6 insurrection and two days after her pension benefits were locked in Congress.

Meanwhile, she remains present on social media. She has a lot to say about MAGA and how the House is run.

Now it represents a potential option for Republicans, especially those who consider themselves part of the MAGA group: Do they speak out if they think President Donald Trump is wrong? Or do they go home? What Greene says and does in the next month could sway that trend for some.

3. Mike Johnson debate

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Los Angeles, speaks to reporters Nov. 12 from inside the U.S. Capitol after passage of the House funding bill to end the longest U.S. government shutdown in history. Photography by Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

There is growing anger among House Republicans, including some in leadership, toward Speaker Mike Johnson.

How do I know this? They tell me, largely via text.

These are long-time sources who are concerned about the White House and Johnson sidelining the House. That major issues (translation: health care) were not being discussed with them.

Now, this is not unusual. Every speaker in history has faced unhappy members. But Johnson is still relatively new to the leadership, and remember, Republicans could move to oust him if the Nine of them wanted to do so.

I’m not saying that will happen. Johnson has had some big wins.

But after holding out in the House for more than a month and appearing to listen more to the White House than to its own members, he is now at a perilous moment.

We will watch.