It's the most wonderful time of the year

You knew Congress wasn't going home early

Of course Congress will work the weekend before Christmas. But at least someone thought about bringing beer. More in today's "Regular Order" for December 18, 2020.

EVERYBODY'S WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND. It shouldn't surprise anyone that the House and Senate start work today staring at a midnight government shutdown deadline, with lawmakers on call for votes this weekend on a Coronavirus relief package and a giant Omnibus funding bill. "Members are urged to keep their schedules flexible this weekend," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said on Thursday. There's all sorts of talk about what other items might get stuffed into the Omnibus - making it into a giant Legislative Christmas Tree. The candidates include a measure on surprise medical bills, and a major water resources package. But you can’t have votes until you have the final bills. And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell warned Thursday that it’s not too late for everything to fall apart.

• GOP: NO WAY TO RUN A RAILROAD. You may not like it, but last minute deal-making before Christmas in Congress has pretty much become standard operating procedure. And a group of GOP lawmakers used an op-ed to call for major change. "Americans have become used to two things in December: the holiday season and a looming government shutdown right before Christmas," wrote five GOP Freedom Caucus members on Thursday. But while their complaints about how most lawmakers aren’t involved in the legislative process are certainly valid - the GOP has fared no better when in charge of the House and Senate. LEGISLATIVE NERD NOTE: The last time Congress wrapped up work for the year before Thanksgiving was 2002.

IT'S MILLER TIME. The best farewell speech so far has come from Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-SC), who was defeated in November in his first run for re-election. The South Carolina Democrat showed off his relaxed state of mind by bringing a beer on to the floor of the House for his final speech - and to send a message. "We have to sit and down and listen to each other, and maybe even have a beer," Cunningham said. I know from experience that Cunningham is correct in one sense: Too many lawmakers in both parties don't have a good friend on the other side of the aisle. Sid Yudain, the founder of the Roll Call newspaper, told me many years ago that lawmakers needed to have more fun. "Bring back the booze, and bring back the comity with it," Yudain said with a laugh.

• MORE LAWMAKERS COVID POSITIVE: There was no laughing as more lawmakers announced they were COVID-19 positive. The latest Republican was Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), the third GOP lawmaker in the past few days, joining Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA). Also, Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA), who campaigned for Democrats in Georgia this week, tested positive on Wednesday. The party virus breakdown clearly shows more GOP lawmakers getting it than Democrats. The rate for House and Senate Republicans is about 15 percent. For Democrats, it's over 4 percent. GOOD NEWS: The vaccine is coming to Capitol Hill for lawmakers.

BIDEN PICKS AGAIN FROM HOUSE DEMS. President-Elect Joe Biden will make history by nominating Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM) to be Interior Secretary. She would be the first Native American to hold that post, which holds sway over so many Native American matters. "A voice like mine has never been a Cabinet secretary or the head of the Department of Interior," Haaland said Thursday. Not only that, but the Bureau of Indian Affairs has never had a boss who was Native American. It will give Haaland an opportunity to deal with a host of inequities on reservations, especially in education.

• BUT BIDEN AGAIN TRIMS HOUSE MAJORITY. While the choice of Haaland for Interior makes history, it also makes the job of Speaker Nancy Pelosi even more difficult in 2021, as that's now three Democrats plucked from the House to work in a Biden Administration. Biden already tapped Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH) for HUD Secretary, and Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) is going to work in the White House. As of now, Democrats have 222 House seats in the 117th Congress. Take away Richmond, Fudge and Haaland, and it's down to 219 (218 is a majority in a 435 seat House). Add in a few months for special elections, and it makes things tighter for Biden’s agenda in the 117th Congress.

HISTORY NOTE: Twenty years ago today we were covering President-Elect George W. Bush, as he came to Capitol Hill to meet with Congressional leaders, just days after the 2000 post-election vote fight had finally ended at the U.S. Supreme Court.

LAST MINUTE BILL: The 116th Congress is almost over. Rep. Justin Amash (L-MI) introduced a bill to make reforms in civil asset forfeiture laws, saying they are 'inherently flawed and unconstitutional.'

FRIDAY LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:

House meets at 10 am. Last votes at ???

Senate meets at 10 am. Last votes at ???

President Trump has no public schedule. He continues to press GOP Senators to try to block the counting of Electoral Votes on January 6.

Today might be my last day on the radio.

Follow me on Twitter @jamiedupree

“Conference reports may be brought up at any time. Any further program will be announced later.”