Sarah Burnett, a 29-year-old mother of three from Shawnee, Okla., came to Washington this week to demonstrate for free and fair elections. Her political interests lay dormant during much of her 20s, but that changed when coronavirus lockdowns hurt the video production company she runs with her husband and kept her from attending the Baptist church she loves. She launched a Facebook page that urged Christians to engage in politics and protect their liberty.

WASHINGTON—My first indication that something was really wrong came when an aide passed through the press gallery and told me to make sure I had everything I needed at my side and ready for a lockdown. Perhaps for hours.

WASHINGTON—The year kicked off with a whimper, not a bang, as the Democratic House’s impeachment of President Donald Trump fizzled into an acquittal by the Republican-controlled Senate. Meanwhile, Democratic voters steered clear of far-left options in a crowded primary to pick former Vice President Joe Biden as their presidential nominee.

WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court on Friday chose not to rule on whether the White House can omit illegal immigrants from the final census data used to allot seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

President-elect Joe Biden crested the 270-vote threshold needed to win the presidential contest as members of the Electoral College cast their ballots for president on Monday. California’s 55 votes put Biden over the edge, giving him 302 votes, and Hawaii added four votes later in the day. President Donald Trump captured 232 votes.

States’ tallies unfolded in a largely anticlimactic fashion throughout the day.

WASHINGTON—With the government set to run out of funding on Friday at midnight, the Senate still needs to pass a temporary stopgap measure to avert a federal shutdown. The House of Representatives voted Thursday on a continuing resolution to keep the government open for one more week as they try to find a compromise on a larger spending bill.

WASHINGTON—Time is almost up for the 116th Congress. But before lawmakers head home for the holidays—House lawmakers on Dec. 10 and senators on Dec. 18—they hope to wrap-up a few remaining to-dos, including funding the government for the rest of the fiscal year.