Trump and House Republicans are meeting to talk about their
election-year agenda
[January 06, 2026]
By SEUNG MIN KIM
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will gather with House
Republicans on Tuesday to ensure they’re aligned on their agenda at the
start of a critical midterm election year that could alter the course of
Trump’s final two years in office.
GOP lawmakers are hosting a daylong policy forum at the Kennedy Center,
the performing arts venue on the other side of Washington from the
Capitol. Its board, which is stacked with Trump loyalists, recently
voted to rename it the Trump-Kennedy Center, though that move is being
challenged in court.
The House GOP is convening as they launch their new year agenda, with
health care issues in particular dogging the GOP heading into the
midterm elections. Votes on extending expired health insurance subsidies
are expected as soon as this week, and it’s unclear whether the
president and the party will try to block its passage.
Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., are trying to corral
Republican lawmakers at a time when GOP leaders have a thin majority in
the chamber. Meanwhile, rank-and-file lawmakers have felt increasingly
emboldened enough to buck Trump and the leadership’s wishes, such as on
the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
With Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation taking effect at midnight
Tuesday, Republican leaders now have a 219-213 majority in the House.
The meeting also comes after the Trump administration’s dramatic capture
of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, which occurred after a monthslong U.S.
campaign to pressure the now-deposed leader by building up American
forces in the waters off South America and bombing boats alleged to have
been carrying drugs.
The Maduro capture is reigniting the debate about Trump’s powers over
Congress to authorize the campaign against Venezuela, though House
Republican lawmakers have largely been supportive of the
administration’s efforts there.
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President Donald Trump listens to a question during a news
conference at Mar-a-Lago, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Palm Beach,
Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Among the topics likely to be discussed on Tuesday are promoting and
implementing the GOP’s marquee tax-and-border legislation, as well
as a broader affordability agenda and midterm politics, according to
a Republican official involved in the planning of the meeting and
granted anonymity to discuss it.
Republicans are also mulling a potential second tax bill that could
be passed with just party-line votes while confronting the
possibility of a potential partial government shutdown at the end of
the month.
It is unclear why House Republicans chose the Kennedy Center venue
for their off-campus session. House GOP meetings are generally held
in the Capitol or a nearby site off-campus if they are discussing
political matters. The speaker’s office did not respond to a request
for further comment.
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AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this
report.
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