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as we stand alongside over 5, brought to by Punch Bowl News. It is Monday, January 5th, 2026. Let's get into the mix.

Here are your Washington headlines of the day. Number one, what Congress

will want to know about Venezuela. Number two, an interview with John Thune on the occasion of his

one year anniversary, a Senate Republican leader. And number three, a first look at Q4 fundraising. Let's

get into it. Welcome back, everybody. It was a relatively long break by December

standards. We didn't have any big deadlines besides the Obamacare Cliff, which we've already talked

a ton about and isn't very important and something we're going to be covering a ton going forward.

But clearly the biggest story in the world. Today is President Donald Trump's oustering of Nicholas Maduro in Caracas.

And where this leaves the United States and for our purposes, Congress.

This is a challenge to Congress like no challenge that Trump has ever challenged before.

That was a horrible way of saying it.

But Trump is presenting Congress with a gigantic challenge.

And it's a challenge to Congress's power.

And why do we say that?

Well, number one, Trump administration officials spent weeks telling Congress

that they were not interested in regime change in Venezuela.

That's exactly what the goal was.

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