CONTROL

On a new episode of CONTROL, hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller reflect on Speaker Johnson’s latest magic act in passing the One Big Beautiful Bill before pivoting to the action in the Senate with the help of Semafor’s Congressional Bureau Chief Burgess Everett. They discuss the dynamics and personalities involved as Senators look to put their stamp on the OBBB. Can Majority Leader Thune deliver? Or...

It’s the biggest week of Mike Johnson’s speakership, which means a trio of hosts are needed to break down all the intrigue around the One Big Beautiful Bill. Brendan Buck, Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci discuss the drama over SALT and Medicaid before previewing the upcoming, late-night rules committee hearing. Plus, is now the time for President Trump to wield his influence? And can Congress still get this done by the Fourth of Jul...

Three House Committees are teed up to consider their pieces of the "Big, Beautiful Bill," but big questions remain. Hosts Annalyse Keller and Brendan Buck discuss how moderates largely triumphed in the debate on Medicaid, what fiscal hawks have to say about that, and how the SALT issue still threatens the entire reconciliation package. After weighing on what the Senate is up to and making predictions about when all this might get w...

With key markups delayed and internal GOP debates spilling into public view, hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller discuss the state of the “one, big, beautiful bill” – and if it will get passed at all. Then, Jonathan Burks, Executive Vice President of Economic and Health Policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center and former Chief of Staff to Speaker Ryan, joins the show to help Brendan and Annalyse get sm...

After a two-week recess, Members of Congress are returning to a packed schedule of reconciliation markups – but with deadlines already slipping, what kind of progress can the GOP make? Hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller discuss the path ahead, including timing, potential pitfalls and if moderates will stand firm in defense of Medicaid. Plus, a debate about Donald Trump’s poll numbers 100 days into h...

All are eyes are on the House of Representatives (again). Hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller discuss the fallout from the Senate passing the budget resolution and gauge its chances in the House. Can Speaker Johnson quell the rising complaints among the Republican Conference and keep the reconciliation process moving forward? Plus, after days of tariff-induced market turmoil, is now the time Congress...

It is another make or break week for Congressional Republicans as the Senate tees up a vote on a budget resolution. Hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller are joined by Punchbowl News’ Laura Weiss to answer some big questions about the reconciliation debate. Is the new timeline feasible? How will the two chambers handle different budget instructions? And will the Senate overrule the parliamentarian if need be?

Hosts: Brendan Buck...

The House and Senate return following the passage of a CR, and the next thing on the table is a return to budget reconciliation negotiations. Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller are joined by Liam Donovan, senior political strategist at Bracewell, to talk about where discussions stand, what obstacles remain, and how long this thing may take. Plus what happened with the Democrats on the CR vote, the firesto...

With government funding set to run out in a matter of days, Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller are joined by POLITICO congressional reporter Nicholas Wu to assess the shutdown state-of-play. They discuss if Speaker Johnson can muster the votes for a CR, the differing strategies of House and Senate Democrats, and what the censure of Al Green portends for the final vote tally. Plus, what Democrats will disc...

Before President Trump addresses a Joint Session of Congress, Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller discuss the outlook for his agenda: What are the next steps for reconciliation? Can the Senate make the budget math work? And will a government shutdown get in the way? Then, Seven Letter’s Mike Ricci joins the show to talk about State of the Union responses and Chad Pergram, Fox News Senior Congressional Corr...

After weeks of buildup, the moment of truth arrives – can Speaker Johnson pass the budget resolution? Hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller dive into all the scenarios at play and how the Senate will respond after advancing down their two-bill track. Later, they debate the congressional politics of DOGE and if lawmakers can reassert their power of the purse. At the end, trying to answer the question “who is the leader of the Democ...

With the House and Senate on a collision course over reconciliation, hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller explore which strategy has the best chance of success and how some of the wonkier aspects of the process may trip up the GOP’s plans. Then, NBC News’ senior White House correspondent Garrett Haake joins the show to offer his insight on the Trump administration’s early actions, the Trump-Musk relationship, and JD Vance’s role ...

What a year the past month has been – to help make sense of the flurry of news over the last two weeks, Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller are joined by POLITICO’s Capitol Bureau Chief Rachael Bade. Together, they discuss the latest on House Republicans’ spending fight, Elon Musk’s influence on the White House, and the outlook for President Trump’s most controversial nominees.

Articles Discussed:

Politico: Musk steamrolls Washingto...

President Trump is back in the Oval Office. Hosts Annalyse Keller and Brendan Buck discuss the flurry of activity on Inauguration Day – the speech, the executive orders, the pardons and more – and analyze what it means for Capitol Hill.

Hosts: Annalyse Keller and Brendan Buck

Producer: Benji Englander

Articles Discussed:

NYT: What Trump Did on Day 1: Tracking His Biggest Moves

Politico: Trump closes first day with an avalanche ...

All eyes are on the Senate this week with 13 of President-elect Trump’s nominees slated for confirmation hearings. After first discussing the latest developments on reconciliation, hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller are joined by Annie Karni, congressional correspondent at The New York Times, to assess the state-of-play on some of Trump’s more controversial picks. At the end, what Senator Fetterman was doing at Mar-a-Lago and w...

The 119th Congress is off to a rollicking start and hosts Brendan Buck and Mike Ricci analyze the most pressing questions: After securing victory on the first ballot, how strong is Speaker Johnson’s standing in the Conference? Will he be able to move Trump’s agenda through the House? Drawing on their experience from 2017, they offer their opinions on reconciliation strategy.

It’s the last week in the legislative calendar and the last episode of CONTROL for the year, leaving plenty of hot topics for hosts Brendan Buck, Annalyse Keller and Mike Ricci. The trio discuss the relationship between President-elect Trump, Speaker Johnson and Incoming Senate Majority Leader Thune as they map out a plan for reconciliation and analyze the drama at the Steering Committee. At the end, what the hosts are looking out ...

It’s the question that shape the agenda next year: Will Congress do two reconciliation bills in 2025 or jam everything into one package? Hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller discuss the differing plans from incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith, as well as answer key questions about the reconciliation process. Then, they are joined by Manu Raju, CNN's Chief Congressional Correspondent, to...

The House and Senate return this week to begin wrapping up this Congress, while planning for the next one is picking up speed. With Republicans set to hold the smallest majority in about a century next Congress, hosts Brendan Buck and Annalyse Keller break down how the margin will impact policymaking next year. They get into what’s left on the agenda for December before asking how seriously we should all take the DOGE. Then, they w...