Congress has long been an institution that runs on seniority and rewards longevity, and these veteran lawmakers are still running the country at an age when most people are well into retirement.
House Republicans are pushing to pass measures with spending levels below those agreed to in the debt limit compromise, infuriating Democrats and raising the prospect of a shutdown this fall.
For the first time, the leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are all women, as is the top White House budget official. Can they avert a fiscal disaster? They’re determined to try.