Kicking off the first The Lobby Shop episode of 2026, hosts Josh Zive, Caitlin Sickles, Dylan Pasiuk, and Liam Donovan take stock of the political forces already shaping the year ahead. The conversation spans looming Supreme Court decisions on IEEPA tariffs, the communications challenges facing parties heading into a midterm year, and what recent elections signal for House and Senate control. The group also examines government funding deadlines, legislative strategy in an election year, and why expectation management may matter as much as policy outcomes in the months to come.