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Word on the Hill: Two Weeks Until Inauguration

Holiday season ends as Capitol Christmas Tree comes down

Vice President-elect Mike Pence and Donald Trump’s incoming chief of staff Reince Priebus walked through the Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
Vice President-elect Mike Pence and Donald Trump’s incoming chief of staff Reince Priebus walked through the Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Donald Trump is set to become the next president of the United States exactly two weeks from today.

If you’re joining in the festivities: Are you planning on attending the ceremony? And which galas surrounding the day are you trying to get into?

If you’re leaving town: Where are you going? And are you renting out your home?

I’d love to hear about your plans — or your attempts to create plans — for the business mogul’s big day.

Goodbye Christmas Tree

An Architect of the Capitol crew dismantles the Capitol Christmas Tree on the west side of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
An Architect of the Capitol crew dismantles the Capitol Christmas Tree on the west side of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

The Capitol Christmas Tree was taken down on Thursday to mark the end of the holiday season. The 84-foot-tall, 84-year-old Engelmann spruce from Idaho arrived on the Capitol lawn on Nov. 28 and was lit on Dec. 6.

Planned Parenthood to rally for months

Throughout this month, February and March, Planned Parenthood is scheduled to hold 300 events across 47 states and 150 cities. The rallies coincide with the “very real threat of a congressional defunding battle,” the women’s health organization said in a statement. It also launched a new website, www.istandwithpp.org, and a new hashtag: #IStandWithPlannedParenthood.

 Overheard

“Did I miss something?”

— Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., entering a House Freedom Caucus meeting after it was over.

“He has some old pictures of me and I have to do whatever he wants.”

— Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on why Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., will be chairman of the Armed Services cybersecurity subcommittee.

Happy birthday to

Rep. Frank D. Lucas, R-Okla., 57.

Saturday

GOP birthday buddies Sens. John Thune, R-N.D., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., turn 56 and 54 respectively.

Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., 51. 

Sunday

Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Kan., 41.

What’s going on?

Have any tips, announcements or Hill happenings? Send them to AlexGangitano@cqrollcall.comBridget Bowman and Niels Lesniewski contributed to this report.

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