Government funding, border wall await lame-duck Congress

Congress returns to a changed political landscape as newly elected lawmakers arrive in Washington, the parties elect new leadership and incumbents square off for one final legislative sprint before House Democrats take power. Voters swept away eight years of House Republican control in last week's election, creating a new political dynamic that's challenging President Donald Trump even before the new 116th Congress begins in January. For their last act, Republicans will try to deliver on Trump's promise to fund the border wall, which could spark a partial federal government shutdown in weeks. Newly emboldened Democrats are in no mood to cooperate over wall money. Instead, they'll be pushing to protect special counsel Robert Mueller's probe from acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, who has criticized the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.