Week Ahead in Washington: November 2

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - It’s Election Day in America this week as voters in Virginia, California, New Jersey, and New York head to the polls for key races. Both New Jersey and Virginia have gubernatorial elections, while New York City is selecting its next mayor.

In California, voters there are deciding whether to re-draw the state’s congressional map. The referendum proposed by California Democrats comes in response to Texas Republicans attempting to do the same. If approved, the proposal could net Democrats five new House seats for next year’s midterms.

Back in Washington, the federal government remains shut down. If lawmakers do not reopen the government before Wednesday, this shutdown will break the 2018-19 record for longest in American history.

The House is expected to remain in recess this week while the Senate will be in town. The upper chamber has failed to move forward a house-passed funding bill 13 times now since the shutdown began October 1^{st .}

Also Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments as to whether President Donald Trump has the power to unilaterally impose broad tariffs. An appeals court ruled them illegal in August, but let them remain in place pending the outcome of this case.

Then on Friday, President Trump hosts Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House as he continues his focus on Middle East diplomacy. The meeting comes nearly one year after forces toppled the authoritarian government of Bashar Assad last December.