Political Checklist: Final Days of the Lame-Duck Congress

Political Editor David Chalian and Senior Correspondents Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff tackle the key political question of the week: will the 111th Congress, controlled by the Democrats, be able to pass President Obama’s major legislative priorities before the end of the year, when Republicans will gain six Senate seats and control of the House?

The two main hurdles before Congress: ratification of a new nuclear arms treaty with Russia, and the extension of unemployment benefits and the Bush tax cuts. The U.S. Senate will hold a procedural vote on the tax cuts 3 p.m. Monday.

The team also discusses the likely future for RNC Chairman Michael Steele, who plans to announce whether he will run to keep his job Monday.

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