New Year's Day marks the beginning of a month of political events and milestones not seen in Washington in some time.
From the House speaker election to former President Carter's memorial service to the start of Trump's second term and all that comes with it, January kicks off 2025 with tone-setting votes and important actions.
House and Senate seats will need to be filled, created by Trump's nomination and the selection of Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as vice president. That process will begin in January.
Let's take a look at what you can expect here.
January 3: The new parliament meets and the Speaker of the House is elected.
The 119th Congress opened at noon on Friday, with Republicans gaining new majorities in both chambers. The election of the chairman is the first item on the agenda. The House cannot do any business until that is resolved.
House Speaker Mike Johnson hopes to keep the gavel, and President-elect Trump's announcement of full support for Johnson on Monday may have boosted his chances. But Mr Johnson's margin is incredibly close, with just two votes even if everyone was present. At least one Republican said he would not vote for Johnson as speaker.
The Senate has new leadership, with Sen. John Thune (RS.D.) replacing Sen. Chuck Schumer (D.Y.) as Majority Leader.
January 6: Congress certifies election results
Congress will meet on Monday to count the electoral votes, ensuring Trump's victory over Vice President Harris in the 2024 election. Harris will be the first sitting vice president to oversee the tally of his own election losses since Al Gore in 2002.
January 7th-9th: Carter Memorial Event in Washington
Carter, who died Dec. 29 in Plains, Georgia, will be remembered at events in both Georgia and Washington.
His memorial service begins Saturday, and the former Georgia governor is scheduled to rest for two days at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta.
The late president and his family are expected to arrive in Washington on January 7, and a funeral procession will head to the Capitol. Mr. Carter is scheduled to spend two days recuperating in the state starting in the afternoon of the same day. At 3 p.m., members of Congress will offer their condolences. The rotunda opens to the public at 7 p.m.
A state funeral will be held at 10 a.m. on January 9 at the Washington National Cathedral. President Biden is expected to praise Carter. Mr. Trump has announced that he will attend.
The former president and his family will then return to Plains, Georgia, where a private funeral and burial ceremony will be held.
January 9: Biden visits Italy
Biden will make a three-day visit to Rome and the Vatican in what is expected to be his last overseas trip as president. He will meet with Pope Francis, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
January 10: Supreme Court hears TikTok ban case
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on whether a law banning TikTok nationwide violates the First Amendment. The video-sharing platform aims to override a law requiring it to divest from its Chinese parent company or face a ban. The law will go into effect on January 19th.
President Trump opposes the ban and has asked the high court to postpone the case until he takes office.
D. John Sauer, one of President Trump's personal appellate lawyers, said, “Only President Trump has the impeccable deal-making expertise, electoral authority, and ability to craft resolutions that uphold the platform while addressing national security concerns.” “We have the political will to negotiate a plan.” Sauer, who was nominated by President Trump to be attorney general, will be responsible for defending the government's ban.
January 14: Pete Hegseth confirmation hearing
The Senate Armed Services CommitteeScheduled to be heldA hearing for Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth will be held on January 14, six days before Trump's inauguration. Mr. Hegseth toured the Capitol last month, trying to persuade Republican senators who seemed hesitant about his nomination.
January 20: President Trump Inauguration Ceremony
Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States at noon, marking the end of his comeback from the violent Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and dozens of federal and state criminal charges.
The president-elect has vowed to sign a slew of executive orders affecting immigration, energy and foreign policy on his first day in office. He also signaled he would move quickly to roll back protections for transgender youth.
January 28: Florida Special Primary Election
Two special primaries will be held in Florida to fill the House seat vacated by Trump's nomination. General elections for both seats will be held on April 1st.
Rep. Mike Walz (R-Fla.), a candidate for national security adviser, plans to resign his seat in the 6th Congressional District on January 20th. The district will host both Democratic and Republican primaries.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) resigned from his 1st Congressional District seat on Nov. 13 after being nominated by President Trump to be attorney general. Gates withdrew his nomination eight days later as details of the ethics committee's report began to leak. Only the Republican primary will be held in the 1st District.
January 30: Democratic National Committee meeting begins.
The Democratic Party executive body will hold its winter meeting from January 30th to February 30th. 1 includes the election of a new chair. Five candidates are running for the leadership post.
Brett Samuels, Zach Schoenfeld, Julia Chapero, and Ashley Fields contributed.
