Democrats See Christmas Goal Slipping Away

“The goal for Democrats was to pass President Biden’s sweeping climate and social spending package by Christmas, but that is slipping away as the Senate bogs down in one time-consuming fight after another,” The Hill reports.

Punchbowl News: “With the threat of a government shutdown averted, the biggest issues facing Congress are the debt limit — which has to be dealt with very soon, as in this week — and the National Defense Authorization Act, another must pass bill that got hung up in the Senate last week.”

Playbook: “Congress’ holiday season theme of governing by crisis continues this week, as lawmakers return to Washington to address what could be the trickiest issue of the month: the debt ceiling.”