Johnson signals lame-duck path for five-year highway bill

House Speaker Mike Johnson said the five-year highway bill is likely to be a lame-duck priority, with the House poised to clear a Senate-passed extension of current surface transportation authorities and press for a full reauthorization by year’s end; progress hinges on Ways and Means finalizing tax provisions and the bill’s committee path since Senate text hasn’t been released, and the Dec. 11 extension provides more time. In other updates, Everton Blair was sworn in to the House, expanding Democrats’ margin for party‑line votes, with Aisha Wahab scheduled to be sworn in soon; Jahana Hayes is weighing a bid for the Education and Workforce Committee leadership; and Republicans continue maneuvering around a stopgap funding bill, hemp language, and other tactics, including a Johnson‑Musk meeting to bolster campaign resources.