Old headaches will plague Mike Johnson in the new year

Congress is back for the new year. But Speaker Mike Johnson isn’t exactly getting a fresh start in 2026.

The House returns from the holiday recess to confront old issues that continue to bedevil Johnson — from politically perilous battle over health care and the ongoing release of the Jeffrey Epstein files to a messy intra-GOP fight over lawmakers’ stock trading and another looming government shutdown cliff.

The speaker is working to refocus Republicans, seeking to rally members...