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

The 119th Congress is off to a rollicking start and hosts Brendan Buck and Mike Ricci analyze the most pressing questions: After securing victory on the first ballot, how strong is Speaker Johnson’s standing in the Conference? Will he be able to move Trump’s agenda through the House? Drawing on their experience from 2017, they offer their opinions on reconciliation strategy.

Hosts: Brendan Buck and Mike Ricci

Producer: Benji Englander

Articles Discussed:

CNN: Johnson wins dramatic vote to remain House speaker

Politico: Johnson tells House Republicans that Trump wants one ‘big beautiful’ reconciliation package

NBC News: Speaker Johnson's push to pass Trump's agenda in one massive bill faces big hurdles

Roll Call: Trump open to two-step budget plan despite earlier comments

It’s the last week in the legislative calendar and the last episode of CONTROL for the year, leaving plenty of hot topics for hosts Brendan Buck, Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci. The trio discuss the relationship between President-elect Trump, Speaker Johnson and Incoming Senate Majority Leader Thune as they map out a plan for reconciliation and analyze the drama at the Steering Committee. At the end, what the hosts are looking out for in 2025.

Hosts: Brendan Buck, Annalyse Keller, Mike Ricci

Producer: Benji Englander

Articles Discussed:

Fox News: President-elect Trump takes in Army-Navy game with powerhouse posse

The Hill: Johnson says new GOP agenda will be ‘very aggressive beginning right out of the gate’

The Hill: Thune expects tax package by summer: ‘Failure is not an option’

Politico: Conservatives fall in line behind Mike Johnson ahead of speaker race

Punchbowl: Inside how Johnson handled steering and what it means for the pitfalls ahead

It’s the question that shape the agenda next year: Will Congress do two reconciliation bills in 2025 or jam everything into one package? Hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller discuss the differing plans from incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith, as well as answer key questions about the reconciliation process. Then, they are joined by Manu Raju, CNN's Chief Congressional Correspondent, to talk about the Senate confirmation battles for Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel.

Hosts: Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller

Guest: Manu Raju

Producer: Benji Englander

Articles Discussed:

CNN: GOP rifts open over Trump agenda as legislative landmines await new Congress

WaPo: GOP caught between immigration and tax cuts for early 2025 priorities

Reuters: Embattled Trump nominees Hegseth, Gabbard visit Senate seeking support

CNN: Key GOP senators begin to fall in line to support Kash Patel and keep door open for Pete Hegseth

Punchbowl: NDAA moves complicate passage

The House and Senate return this week to begin wrapping up this Congress, while planning for the next one is picking up speed. With Republicans set to hold the smallest majority in about a century next Congress, hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller break down how the margin will impact policymaking next year. They get into what’s left on the agenda for December before asking how seriously we should all take the DOGE. Then, they welcome former Parliamentarian of the House Tom Wickham for a deep dive into some of the big procedural questions facing Washington. Can the President really just declare Congress in recess to make appointments? How can immigration and tariffs fit into the reconciliation equation? And what to make of the House trying to dislodge the ethics report on Matt Gaetz? It’s all critical primer as we head into the next Congress.

Hosts: Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller

Guest: Tom Wickham

Producer: Benji Englander

Articles Discussed:

CBS News: Incoming House majority squeezed by Trump's planned appointments

Fox News: Present and Accounted For: House Republicans' small majority could make attendance a priority

CNBC: Musk, Ramaswamy to discuss DOGE with GOP leaders on Capitol Hill Dec. 5

Politico: Congress readies another funding punt ahead of pre-Christmas shutdown deadline

Roll Call: Trump and recess appointments: A procedural and legal quagmire

AP: Trump and Republicans in Congress eye an ambitious 100-day agenda, starting with tax cuts

It’s not the start of a joke, it’s a new episode of CONTROL! Hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller discuss the state of the Johnson-Trump relationship before turning their attention to the big questions in the Senate: Will Matt Gaetz be confirmed? Will the Judiciary Committee get access to the ethics report? And how will new GOP Leader John Thune navigate this process? Then, Axios’ Hans Nichols – author of the new daily newsletter Hill Leaders – joins the show to share what he’s hearing about all the major figures on Capitol Hill.

Hosts: Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller

Guest: Hans Nichols

Producer: Benji Englander

Articles Discussed

Fox News: Trump flanked by top allies, cabinet picks at UFC 309: 'USA, USA'

Politico: Trump endorses Johnson hours ahead of GOP speaker vote

NBC News: House Ethics Committee to meet Wednesday to discuss Matt Gaetz report

Politico: Matt Gaetz feels the heat

Axios: Trump dares Senate Republicans with Gaetz nomination

NPR: Trump picks loyalists for top jobs, testing loyalty of Senate GOP