Lawmakers prepare for final lame-duck sprint before making way for next Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) — Keeping the federal government open. Providing more disaster aid. Passing a defense policy bill. And for Senate Democrats, confirming more judges.

It's a short but important to-do list as Congress returns to Washington this week to begin what is known as a lame-duck session — that period between Election Day and the end of the two-year congressional term.

Republicans are anxious to turn the page and move on to next year when they'll have control of the White House and possibly both chambers of Congress, while Democrats hope to get in as many of their priorities as they can while they still have the majority in the Senate.

Here's a look at where things stand going into the final weeks of the tumultuous 118th Congress: