MNI POLITICAL RISK - Congress Races To Avoid Repeat Shutdown

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Executive summary:

• President Donald Trump will receive an intel briefing in the morning before signing an Executive Order.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with his counterparts from Brazil and Argentina.
• Trump signed a Continuing Resolution to end the historic 43-day shutdown. Congress now has 78 days to pass nine FY26 spending bills - or pass another short-term funding measure - to avoid a second shutdown on January 31, 2026.
• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration will announce a raft of agricultural tariff cuts in the coming days to address food prices. Bessent said a final decision hasn’t been made on Trump’s proposal for a USD$2000 tariff rebate.
• FBI Director Kash Patel touted a deal with China to crack down on Fentanyl precursor chemicals. Beijing agreed to expand military communication channels with Washington.
• President Trump sent a letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog demanding a full pardon for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
• House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-AK) is aiming to bring bipartisan energy permitting legislation to the floor this year.
• House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) will hold a vote on releasing Department of Justice files related to Jeffrey Epstein next week.
• G7 foreign ministers reaffirmed “unwavering support for Ukraine," acknowledged "leveraging immobilised Russian Sovereign Assets" and reiterated "strong support" for Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
• Chart of the Day: Trump’s boycott of this month’s G20 summit in South Africa risks undermining 15 years of work. 

Please find the full article attached below: US DAILY BRIEF