This week: Welcome to the lame-duck session

After nearly two months on the campaign trail, Congress will be back in session on Wednesday for new member orientation and leadership elections.

Work on major legislation won’t commence until after the leadership elections conclude, likely after Thanksgiving. Neither chamber is planning votes this week on the top items on the lame-duck session’s to-do list, like funding the government past Dec. 11 and reinstating expired tax breaks.

{mosads}None of the top congressional leaders is expected to face major challenges to their positions and will likely be reelected easily by their respective caucuses in the next two weeks. But the formal public election of the House speaker, who technically leads the entire chamber, won’t be until the new Congress convenes in January.

Senate Democrats, Senate Republicans and House Republicans all plan to hold their leadership elections on Thursday. House Democrats are expected to hold theirs on Nov. 18.

Floor Activity

The voting schedule will be light for the three days the House and Senate are in session this week. Both chambers will be in session again next week before adjourning for Thanksgiving.

The Senate will consider a handful of nominations and legislation (S. 1086) to expand the Child Care and Development Block Grant program to assist low income workers paying for child care. Before adjourning in September, the House passed the most recent version by voice vote.

Across the Capitol, the House will only consider noncontroversial suspension bills during its first week back as members are consumed with organizational meetings. Next week, it will take up bills aimed at increasing transparency in the Environmental Protection Agency’s rulemaking.

Hearings

High-profile hearings are planned right when Congress returns. The Senate Appropriations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee will both hold hearings on the Ebola outbreak.

On Thursday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey will testify before the House Armed Services Committee about the administration’s response to extremist group the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Below is a more detailed schedule of the week ahead:

Wednesday

The Senate will convene at 2 p.m. At 5:30 p.m., the Senate will vote on motions to invoke cloture on the nominations of Randolph D. Moss to be a U.S. district judge for the District of Columbia and Leigh Martin May to be a U.S. district judge for the northern district of Georgia.

The House will also convene at 2 p.m. It will consider a series of bills under suspension of the rules. Those bills could include H.R. 4194, to eliminate certain government reports, and H.R. 5448, to authorize appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts through 2019. Votes will be held at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday

Senate Democratic and Republican leadership elections are both expected in the morning. Afterward, the Senate will vote to confirm the Moss and May nominations at 2:15 p.m. Upon completion of the nominations, the Senate will turn to the child block grant bill.

House Republicans will hold their leadership elections in the afternoon. The House will likely also vote on suspension bills. In addition, House members-elect will participate in their first day of freshman orientation.

Friday

The Senate may finish work on the child block grant bill.

On the House side, members will continue their organizational meetings for the 114th Congress and possibly vote on more suspension bills. The last votes of the week will be no later than 3 p.m.

— Mike Lillis and Ramsey Cox contributed.