"The 117th Congress opened to an uncertain political landscape yesterday, with a tight vote for the House speakership and with Senate control still up in the air.

Lawmakers face fresh fights on energy and environmental issues, particularly climate change, but first they have to get through the political and logistical hurdles of the next few weeks.

With the Georgia runoffs tomorrow set to determine which party holds the Senate, the chamber may not be able to organize committees or begin work on President-elect Joe Biden's executive branch nominees.

Plus, Republicans in both the House and Senate plan to object to the formal Electoral College results to certify Biden's victory on Wednesday, amid President Trump's baseless claims of election fraud."

Nick Sobczyk, Geof Koss, and Kelsey Brugger report for E&E News January 4, 2021. [2]