🛡️ Congress Debates Defense Bill Issues Congress is working to finalize the annual defense policy bill and a continuing resolution to fund the government until March, with debates on various policies included. 🏛️ House Speaker Faces NDAA Challenges House Speaker Mike Johnson faces challenges from conservatives on the NDAA bill, especially on issues concerning transgender children and military family benefits. 🤝 Senators Meet Controversial Trump Nominees Senators are set to meet with Trump nominees who've stirred controversy, including Pete Hegseth for Defense and Tulsi Gabbard for National Intelligence. 🗳️ Democratic Staffers Critique Biden Strategy Democratic congressional staffers attribute party losses to Biden's electoral strategy, which they felt focused on less relevant issues for voters. 📉 Lara Trump Eyes Florida Senate Seat Lara Trump has stepped down as RNC co-chair and is considering running for Marco Rubio's soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat in Florida. 🔍 Tulsi Gabbard's Controversial DNI Nomination Tulsi Gabbard faces scrutiny over her nomination as director of national intelligence due to her past interactions with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. 💥 U.S. Conducts Airstrikes in Syria The U.S. conducted major airstrikes in Syria targeting ISIS, following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. ⚖️ Trump's Lawyer Tapped as Counselor Trump's administration announced the nomination of his lawyer, Alina Habba, as counselor to the president.