Letters from Capitol Hill that Members of Congress have written and signed on to lately.
Trump Day Two, and we’re teasing 10-25 percent tariff threats already.
And, yet, things are moving a little slower than predicted - and promised.
After the fanfare of yesterday’s inaugural festivities, 45/47 got down to business by enacting some 42 Executive Orders/Memoranda/Proclamation, 115 announcements on personnel actions, and more than 200 executive actions.
The difference in these authorities is as clear as how clear Dick Cheney’s stretched authority for the Executive Branch power was legitimate during his time as foreign policy advisor and one VP to George W. Bush: vast and undiscovered.
Atop a newly installed neutral tone Oval Office rug, and next to the newly re-installed Diet Coke call button, the world watched with bated breath as Trump signed orders rescinding everything from AI exporting controls and a moratorium over LNG exporting licenses enacted under Biden.
Notably absent after a fury of announcements leading up to Trump’s return to the White House floating the idea of enacting tariffs to restore America to the top of the geopolitical pyramid, mum was the word on economic levies until this afternoon, when the President said he didn't forget and is still weighing a 10 percent threat on China.
Trump said the tariff would be designed to hit China with 10 percent tariffs on all imports “based on the fact that they’re sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada.”
Back on par with saying one thing and doing another this Congress - every Congress - Trump promised levies of up to 60 percent on Chinese products during his campaign.
However, after agreeing to extend the divestiture deadline for ByteDance to reduce its majority ownership of TikTok, not to mention TikTok’s American CEO and the PRC’s Vice President attending Inauguration, as well as the reportedly productive phone calls President to President and VP to VP China to U.S. - during which, both the President and VP Vance said conversations on fentanyl were short, albeit, realistic and promising - finding common ground may not prove to be such a farfetched concept this Congress.
For all of our foreign followers, one of Trump’s favorite moves is to provoke a reaction to see where chips fall and capitalize upon as such - about everything, like promises to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and repatriate the Panama Canal…to Panama.
Lest we forget, he was an early reality TV superstar, now long primed for the showmanship needed to maintain command of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Where there is chaos, there is a means of control - perceived or otherwise.
Trump’s hang-up on Panama comes from his frustration with China’s ownership stake in the Canal, a reality for which he says was not part of the agreed-upon terms of sale when the U.S. handed over the keys for a cool $10 million and some century-long concession so-and-so in the early 1900s.
Of course, until the U.S. is ready to directly compete with powerhouse China and Mother Russia in their tactics of aggressively acquiring controlling stakes in critical infrastructure to physically connect their plans for world domination, threats may be as good as Trump can do.
Just for fun - and because we are radicalized by ByteDance’s powerful, proprietary, sympathizing algorithm, obviously - we took an inventory of Congress’ Chinese Zodiac Signs.
Genesis of the Chinese Zodiac centers around the story of a race of 12 animals crossing a mighty river at invitation of an ancient Emperor. Catching a ride on the back of the second-place ox, the rat became the winner.
This is a pretty good quick primer.
On a 12-year cycle based on the order of animals to reach the other side of the river, 2025 is the Year of the Snake, and layer of the legend sheds a whole new light on the term ‘Hill Rat.‘
A source of influence for nearly a third of the Earth’s population, the Chinese Zodiac has more to do with understanding organic balances of good matches in partners and navigating dynamics of natural adversaries than a static inventory could ever convey.
This is why Proxenos is continuing to model our data to provide insights on potential paths to cooperation for Members of Congress and leaders worldwide during this 119th Session.
Destiny or gritted determination to reach common ground, the effects of achieving and understanding balance are positive just the same.

Check back for more cool charts, including a Senate inventory and Committee composition update, coming soon.
Email us to request access to the full dataset.
Closer to home, the balance could not be more volatile, with Mexico and Canada on high alert for tariffs, deportations, and more from Trump’s second coming.
Compulsory relationships with these countries given the U.S. borders are better founded in cooperation, but Trump’s ideas the talk of the town, even all the way in Davos, where the most down-to-Earth people on the planet are in the small mountain town for the annual World Economic Forum.
Despite demonstrated effectiveness with countries rushing to show a willingness to support Trump’s ideas after his tariff threat tirade, it seems as though the Swiss vibe on Trump is irritated by the wild range of possibilities, but resided capitulation is proving to be more the reality than resistance.
Don’t like what Russia is doing getting rowdy with Ukraine? Threaten a tariff.
Trying to wean Europe off of Russian energy supplies? Try a tariff.
Want undocumented persons out of the country? There’s a tariff for that.
South Korea is one country striving to make lemonade out of Trump’s threats and lemons, promising to move some of its Samsung dryer and parts production to North Carolina.
India is another country taking Trump’s threats seriously, heeding the warning of the action on immigration from the Big Man: Mumbai announced plans to remove at least 10,000 undocumented foreign nationals in the U.S. in order to ensure its legal visa processes and permissions can remain in place.
Legitimate immigration is crucial to good intentioned populations, like Indian students who want to learn in the U.S. Such opportunity reciprocally benefits American technology development, and, even if India may be scrambling to make up for its unfortunate planning of a (partially) politically sanctioned American assassination, Trump loves his welcome gifts.
But the situation is much more precarious at the U.S. southern border, where an app to schedule asylum interviews became shuttered by the stroke of Trump’s Sharpie, leaving thousands stranded and indefinitely remaining in Mexico.
The hazy narrative of the dangers of undocumented persons continues to devolve, with authenticated acts of atrocities spurring legislation empowering states to do more to pursue and remove those in the U.S. illegally and committing additional crimes.
On Monday, Martin Luther King Day 2025, a day dedicated to honoring a fight for human dignity, the Senate advanced the Laken Riley Act 64-35 with only one amendment.
The House originally passed the legislation 264-159 before Inauguration, setting up to vote on the slightly revised bill later this week, promising redemption for the namesake - a college-aged nursing student killed by a person illegally in the U.S. last year.
Venezuelan national Jose Ibarra is currently serving a life sentence without parole in Georgia for his heinous crime. Tangentially, yet, indirectly related, Trump said it is likely the U.S. will discontinue purchase of oil from Venezuela.
Closer to Canada, which provides the lion’s share of imported oil in the U.S., there was a non-pipeline leak about a planned immigration raid in Chicago over the weekend.
A pun on the topic may be insensitive, but the raids continue to be rumors, with countless citizens remaining on edge, including children born in the U.S. to undocumented parents unclear if their American identity will be stripped or starred and stripe-d.
Trump is a self-proclaimed peace keeper and unifier, and he’s likely to prove himself a fighter in challenges to his executive orders by Congress and already filed in a number of federal courts by a number of states and groups. But he’s not a Dreamer, despite his visions for expected action by executive authority without the slow down and peoples’ debate of Congress.
He’s also anti-remote work and new coworkers, signing orders requiring a return to office for federal employees, as well as a pause on hiring for federal agencies and action any pending rulemaking.
While a slew of Deep South states are experiencing a freak freeze snow storm themselves, what’s not frozen is the progress of confirmation of Trump’s cabinet - first confirmed and installed was Marco Rubio, former Senator from Florida and Foreign Affairs extraordinaire, to serve as Secretary of State, passed 99-0.
Another horse of a different color from Trump’s first term when he would refer to Rubio by a slightly degrading nickname, Little Marco’s first responsibilities in the new term will be re-staffing the State Department, cleared out this week by the incoming administration.
Promising swift action to re-establish respect for America on the global stage while revoking all kinds of security clearances for folks on their way out, Rubio said he is looking forward to restoring functionality to a new brand of State Department - a new State Department free of diversity-equity-inclusion priorities, which Rubio described as hampering the progress of U.S. foreign policy, among other declarations from his welcome memo to staffers.
He may not be on the phone directly, but Putin and Xi - leading China to change their own tune on the PRC choice to previously sanction the freshly graduated Senator Rubio - say they’re interested in talking more in the coming weeks of the President's pt.-II term.
Perhaps placating in hopes of avoiding a criminal inquiry, Congress is continuing its celebration of hopefulness for a better second dance with the Donald.
A number of Trump’s cabinet noms remain held up by slow background checks, but another tranche of appointees are expected to receive a vote in the coming days and weeks.
While New Orleans shivers in multiple inches of snow, California continues to burn, and a hot new meme coin is blazing a trail for the repeat First Family.
It’s not unheard of that a President would be featured on a commemorative coin, it just may be the first time one made billions off of digital, theoretical currency gaining traction even beyond the meme market.
And he’s not the only one making money: bullishly doubling down on anticipated policy changes, including repeal and dismantle of diversity-equity-inclusion and withdrawal from worldwide climate accords, the greenback is up, and tomorrow is more hopeful than yesterday.
Chamber Schedules
Legislation to make DHS detain migrants who entered the US unlawfully if they’re arrested for or charged with crimes including theft, assaulting law enforcement officers, and other acts that result in bodily harm (S. 5) gets a final vote in the House today, sending it to Trump’s desk.
Lawmakers will first vote on the rule teeing up votes on S. 5 and another bill (H.R. 471) to expand forest management practices. First votes are expected by 1:30 p.m.
The chamber also may vote on a bill (H.R. 165) debated yesterday under suspension of the rules regarding land owned by the Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
In the Senate
Senators vote on advancing a bill (S. 6) to require health-care practitioners to provide medical care to a child who survives an abortion, which is a companion to a House measure (H.R. 21) set for a vote this week. The procedural vote on limiting debate on the motion to proceed to S. 6 is set for 2:30 p.m.
Thune teed up votes yesterday on three of Trump’s nominees: John Ratcliffe for the CIA, Pete Hegseth for the Defense Department, and Kristi Noem for the Homeland Security Department.
He issued a warning about the upcoming schedule in an X post: “Senate Republicans are ready to work as long as needed to confirm President Trump’s nominees. Nights. Weekends. Recesses.”
FROM HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER SCALISE
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22ND
On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. First votes expected: 1:30 p.m. Last votes expected: 4:30 p.m.
Legislation Considered Pursuant to a Rule:
S. 5 – Laken Riley Act (Sponsored by Sen. Britt / Judiciary Committee)
Postponed Suspension:
H.R. 165 – Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act (Sponsored by Rep. Johnson (SD) / Natural Resources Committee)
FROM THE SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN
Monday, January 20, 2025
The President pro tempore called the Senate to order at 4:30 p.m., the Chaplain offered a prayer, and the President pro tempore led the Senate in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America.
Pursuant to the order of Friday, January 17, 2025, the morning hour being deemed expired, and the times for the recognition of the two leaders being reserved.
Transaction of Morning Business | 21 Jan.
Legislative Business (Monday, January 20)
S. 5 (Sen. Britt): A bill to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody aliens who have been charged in the United States with theft, and for other purposes.
Considered by Senate.
Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 64 - 35. Record Vote Number: 7
S.Amdt. 8 (Sen. Ernst): To include crimes resulting in death or serious bodily injury to the list of offenses that, if committed by an inadmissible alien, require mandatory detention.
Considered by Senate.
Amendment SA 8 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 75 - 24. Record Vote Number:
S. 6 (Sen. Lankford): A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit a health care practitioner from failing to exercise the proper degree of care in the case of a child who survives an abortion or attempted abortion.
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate.
Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the measure presented in Senate.
Executive Business (Monday, January 20)
Nomination for Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) to be confirmed as Secretary of State by Senator Risch, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report.
Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar No. 2.
By unanimous consent agreement, debate and vote 1/20/2025.
Considered by Senate.
Confirmed by the Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 99 - 0. Record Vote Number: 8
Adjournment
By unanimous consent, on the request of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), at 6:53 p.m., the Senate adjourned, under its order of today, until 11 a.m. tomorrow.
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Jan. 2 | A Long-Distance Letter to the President
Panama submitted a formal letter to U.N. Secretary General António Guterres and the U.N. Security Council on Monday, rejecting comments that President Trump made about reclaiming the Panama Canal during his inauguration speech.
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