Donald Trump won’t retake the presidency for five days, but the race is on among Republicans to position themselves as his facilitator-in-chief on Capitol Hill.

Bids for Trump’s attention in recent days came in the form of unvarnished messaging bills. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) introduced legislation for the US to repurchase the Panama Canal. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) pitched a bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.” And on Monday, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) offered up language to facilitate purchasing Greenland.

To be Trump’s conduit, a member has to have more than loyalty. They have to carry water. Anyone hoping to wield influence will have to ingratiate themselves with the president’s inner circle, manage his shifting expectations, and weaponize clout in Congress to sell Trump’s unconventional ideas to colleagues.

In the Senate, one under-the-radar influencer is Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.). Trump “values his opinion and will pay attention to what he says,” one lobbyist said of Mullin, adding he has a “really good perspective but he’s also not crazy”.

Mullin also has deep knowledge of and relationships in the House, serving there for a decade before being elected to the Senate, this person added.

Trump’s naturally expected to lean heavily on Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

The president-elect already relied on Johnson to pass a three-month stopgap spending bill late last year, heeding the speaker’s advice that it couldn’t also carry a debt-ceiling increase or large-scale spending cuts.

While it may not be surprising the speaker would have a close relationship with the president, Trump will need Johnson’s know-how more than ever given the chamber’s razor-thin majority.

Other Trump insiders who could bend his ear on Capitol Hill matters include:

• James Braid, an ally of Vice President-elect JD Vance who will serve as the White House director of legislative affairs. Braid served as Vance’s deputy chief of staff, legislative liaison for the Office of Management and Budget during the first Trump administration, and policy director for the House Freedom Caucus — a combination of skills that could help contain far-right insurgents.
• There’s also incoming Chief of Staff Suzie Wiles, who lobbied the White House, Congress, and federal agencies for more than 42 clients, according to the a report from the left-leaning nonprofit Public Citizen.
• Another emerging player is Vince Haley, who’ll lead the White House Domestic Policy Council. Haley is a former speechwriter from the first Trump White House under Stephen Miller.

Confirmation hearings offer another venue for Trump allies to distinguish themselves. During a hearing Tuesday for defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth, Mullin accused Democratic senators of voting drunk after they questioned Hegseth on potential character defects.

“It is so ridiculous that you guys hold yourself as this higher standard and you forget you’ve got a big plank in your own eye,” Mullin said. Read More

Investigation Outlook: Congressional investigation attorneys likely will have another busy year in the 119th Congress, panelists at a K&L Gates forum at the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy in Washington said yesterday, MP McQueen reports.

• “I would say buckle up, we are going to see a whole lot of activity that is going to keep busy for a long time,” said Andrew Wright, public policy and law partner at K&L Gates. Wright rejoined the firm after serving as director of public policy for the Biden-Harris presidential transition and was associate counsel to President Barack Obama.
• Wright said to “expect a whole of government approach to oversight,” with the Trump administration in place and new chairs on Senate committees. “Congress’ great frustration is that it has to rely on other branches of government. It has been a divided government. But we don’t have a divided government.”
• Reginald Brown, a crisis management and governmental investigations partner at Kirkland & Ellis in Washington who had served in the George W. Bush administration, said he was frustrated with how Congress uses hearings.
• “Congress’ power to investigate is not unlimited and they can’t investigate just to harass someone. I am frustrated by the failure of the courts to really impose limits even though they say things about Congress’ power is limited.” He also said “I hope the Biden folks build up a fund because they will be in court a fair amount.”

House Transportation Chairs: The House subcommittees overseeing aviation and railroads have new leaders this Congress as they respond to recent train derailments and plane near-misses, Lillianna Byington reports. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), a leading backer of raising the pilot retirement age, will serve as chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation Subcommittee. Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.) will become chair of the Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee. Read More

Ag Panel Shuffle: Four former House Agriculture Committee Democrats are vying for two unfilled seats on the panel after ranking member Angie Craig (D-Minn.) announced a new roster Tuesday, Skye Witley reports. Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), and Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), who all served on the panel handling farm and food policy last session, have each sought a waiver to serve on Agriculture in the 119th Congress, their respective communication directors told Bloomberg Government.

BGOV Webinar Recap: Bloomberg Government hosted a webinar Tuesday to kick off the 119th Congress, discussing the outlook on border and immigration policy, the latest on talks to use the budget reconciliation process for tax and spending changes, and prospects for action on health care, finance, and energy measures. The linked slides review the balance of power in both chambers, shifts in party and committee leadership, the potential use of the Congressional Review Act to undo Biden administration rules, and some key dates to watch. Download Here

Tax Debate Prep: BGOV’s analysts released an OnPoint highlighting the dynamics to watch in this year’s tax debate, including the policies set to expire, Trump’s proposals, key lawmakers and administration officials, and the budget reconciliation process leaders are looking to tap to advance their eventual plan. Download Here

Reconciliation Backup: Republicans are already eyeing an off-ramp from their plan to raise the debt ceiling through reconciliation, as the prospect of rallying a nearly unanimous vote among the GOP appears unlikely, Ken Tran and Jack Fitzpatrick report in today’s BGOV Budget Brief. Read More

Legislation addressing taxes between the US and Taiwan is up in the House today.

The bill (H.R. 33; BGOV Bill Analysis) would amend the US tax code to reduce double taxation for individuals and businesses in the US and Taiwan. The House approved the terms of floor debate as part of the rules package adopted Jan. 3.

Votes are also planned on bills dealing with the use of FEMA utility restoration funds (H.R. 164) and Tennessee Valley Authority reporting requirements (H.R. 144). The bills were debated earlier this week under suspension of the rules, which requires a two-thirds majority for passage.

For more on the bills announced for floor action this week, see the House Agenda for the Week of Jan. 13 prepared by Bloomberg Government’s legislative analysts. For the daily schedule from Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), click here.

Senators will return to the “Laken Riley Act” (S. 5; BGOV Bill Analysis), which would require the Homeland Security Department to detain individuals in the country illegally who are arrested for or charged with theft. Roll call votes are possible but haven’t been locked in.

Trump’s cabinet picks are on deck in Senate committees today.

• Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick for attorney general, begins two days of hearings at the Judiciary Committee. Ben Penn reports on her positions on criminal justice issues. Read More
• Sean Duffy, tapped for transportation secretary, heads to the Commerce Committee, where he’ll discuss plans to tell lawmakers that he’ll cut red tape slowing big infrastructure projects, Allyson Versprille reports. Read More
• John Ratcliffe, tapped to lead the CIA, goes before the Intelligence panel.
• Marco Rubio, the pick for secretary of state, will be in front of the Foreign Relations Committee. The Florida senator is set to say China has lied and cheated its way to superpower status at the expense of the US, Nick Wadhams reports. Read More
• Russell Vought, who has been named to lead OMB, will appear at the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
• Chris Wright, Trump’s pick for energy secretary, is set to testify before the Energy and Natural Resources panel. In his prepared testimony, he says the US must remove bureaucratic barriers and “unleash” production of nuclear power as well as liquified natural gas, Ari Natter reports. Read More

Federal telework practices will be examined by the House Oversight Committee. Former Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley, whose agency reached an agreement last year with its employee union to extend hybrid work until 2029, was invited to appear, along with former Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) in his capacity as president of the Federal City Council. Read More

The state of the nation’s transportation system will be reviewed by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

For an expanded list of today’s House and Senate events, click here.