President-elect Donald Trump vows to pursue executions after President Joe Biden commutes sentences, and Speaker Mike Johnson navigates Washington after the shutdown vote.

Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death row

President-elect Donald Trump promised on Tuesday to “vigorously pursue” capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row, partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions.

Trump criticized Biden’s decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole, arguing that it was senseless and insulted the families of their victims. Biden said converting their punishments to life imprisonment was consistent with the moratorium imposed on federal executions in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder.

“Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our Country,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening!”

Presidents historically have no involvement in dictating or recommending the punishments that federal prosecutors seek for defendants in criminal cases, though Trump has long sought more direct control over the Justice Department's operations. The president-elect wrote that he would direct the department to pursue the death penalty “as soon as I am inaugurated,” but was vague on what specific actions he may take and said they would be in cases of “violent rapists, murderers, and monsters.”

He highlighted the cases of two men who were on federal death row for slaying a woman and a girl, had admitted to killing more and had their sentences commuted by Biden.

Shutdown saga exposes new fault lines for Speaker Johnson and tests his grip on the gavel

One of the most turbulent sessions of Congress in the modern era is about to make way for the next one.

The midnight passage of the government shutdown package put in sharp focus the political fault lines emerging in Washington, as President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., fights for his job and Republicans sweep into control of the House and Senate in the new year.

It took bipartisan votes, Republicans and Democrats, to keep government running for a few more months and provide some $100 billion for disaster aid. Working together, the parties showed the House and Senate can still function, at times, to accomplish the basics of governing.

“After a chaotic few days in the House, it’s good news that the bipartisan approach in the end prevailed," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat. "It’s a good lesson for next year. Both sides have to work together.”

But next year, with big GOP promises to cut taxes and slash spending, while also pumping in new money to fund Trump’s border security and deportation operations, Republicans intend to go it alone.

“We are set up for a big and important new start in January,” Johnson said. “We can’t wait to get started.”

First, though, Johnson needs to be sure he has a job.