By Eleanor Ever Loyal
Two days after the election, Washington is in the interval between a result and a government. The Associated Press has called both chambers for Democrats, the current Congress has not yet returned for business, and the two Senate races still being counted — in Alaska and Mississippi — will set the size of the incoming majority, not its party.
The Day Ahead
Congress. Both chambers meet today only in pro forma session, with no business expected. The Senate convenes at 10:30 a.m. Eastern (Senate Daily Press schedule), and the House meets in pro forma session at 11:00 a.m. Eastern (Congressional Record Daily Digest, November 2; House Clerk floor summary). Both chambers return for business on Monday, November 9. The Senate is then scheduled to resume consideration of the motion to proceed to H.R. 2347, the Survivor Justice Tax Prevention Act, described by the Senate as the legislative vehicle for the permitting reform bill, with a cloture vote at approximately 5:30 p.m. Eastern.
The White House. The published daily guidance for Thursday lists executive time at 8:00 a.m. Eastern, an in-town pool call at 9:00 a.m., an intelligence briefing at 11:00 a.m., a policy meeting at 12:30 p.m., signing time at 3:30 p.m., and a policy meeting at 4:00 p.m. No public event beyond those entries is listed in the guidance checked this morning.
The Supreme Court. The Court hears no argument today. Its hearing list for the session beginning November 2 shows arguments on Monday through Wednesday of this week only; the next arguments are Monday, November 9, in Nielsen v. Watanabe (No. 25-417) and Hoffmann v. WBI Energy Transmission (No. 25-159) (supremecourt.gov hearing list, November 2026 session).
The Pentagon. No Defense Department public briefing is listed in the sources checked this morning.
The Federal Register. Today’s issue includes a Census Bureau notice submitting an information collection — the generic clearance for internet panel pretesting, OMB Control Number 0607-0978 — to the Office of Management and Budget for review, opening an additional 30 days for comment (Federal Register, November 5, 2026, Doc. 2026-22596).
What Moved
The President’s first post-election appearance. President Trump made his first public appearance since the election on Wednesday at the construction site of the White House ballroom, where crews hoisted what he said was the structure’s final steel beam, Reuters reported. He turned only briefly to the elections during the appearance. Reuters reported that Mr. Trump acknowledged the war with Iran had played a role in his party’s losses but stood by his decision, and that Vice President JD Vance wrote in a social media post: “The reason we lost is the war.”
The incoming majority’s stated plans. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Wednesday that the incoming majority would be focused on affordability and accountability, according to Reuters, which reported that Democrats said they would use their control of Congress to press the administration on the conduct of the Iran war and on government funding. The new Congress takes office on January 3, 2027; until then, the current Congress and its deadlines govern.
The count continued. In Alaska, the Senate lead changed hands: Democrat Mary Peltola now leads Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, reversing the order reported yesterday. In Mississippi, the Democratic lead widened from a few dozen votes to just over a thousand. Both races remain uncalled by the AP. The figures are set out in The Power Count below.
The Power Count
The incoming Senate stands at 54 seats for Democrats, including the independents who caucus with them, and 44 for Republicans, with two races uncalled, according to the AP tally. Neither uncalled race affects control — only the final margin.
In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom leads Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by 1,138 votes — 464,926 votes (49 percent) to 463,788 (48.9 percent) — with an estimated 96 percent of votes counted, according to AP results reported November 5. Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson said in a November 4 statement that approximately 3,600 absentee-by-mail ballots remain outstanding, along with an unknown number of affidavit ballots. Affidavit voters have until November 10 to present identification, and counties have until November 13 to submit certified results.
In Alaska, Ms. Peltola leads Mr. Sullivan by 626 votes with an estimated 74 percent of ballots counted, according to AP results reported November 5. If no candidate passes 50 percent of first-choice votes, the state’s ranked-choice tabulation is scheduled for November 18, according to the Alaska Division of Elections.
In the House, the most recent complete AP snapshot checked this morning, from November 4 at 7:07 p.m. Eastern, counted 232 seats called for Democrats and 146 for Republicans, with 57 races still uncalled; 218 of 435 seats make a majority, and the AP called control of the House for Democrats early Wednesday.
One Thing to Watch
The calendar against the count. Alaska and Mississippi may not produce final Senate numbers until November 13 and November 18, respectively, while the current Congress returns on November 9 and the stopgap funding measure keeping the government open expires December 11. The first week back will show, in the scheduled business of the outgoing Congress, which questions each side intends to settle before January and which it intends to leave to the new majorities.
— Eleanor Ever Loyal
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