The nation bumps against its debt ceiling, meaning Congress must act. Can lawmakers work together to reach an agreement? And will it satisfy the White House?

Julia Manchester from “The Hill” joins FOX4’s John Holt to share her insights from Capitol Hill on this episode of 4Star Politics.

There are already concerns about how slowly Congress is moving to take care of any business. Many think it could be difficult for Congress and the White House to reach an agreement the majority supports.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met with President Biden for the first time this session last week.

“Surprisingly we did sense quite a bit of optimism. In fact the speaker left the White House seemingly feeling, not a sense of relief, but a sense of hope, according to him,” Manchester said.

From D.C. to Jefferson City where lawmakers are also talking funding. This time for families struggling to find, and pay for, child care. Gov. Parson surprised some when he announced a plan for funding daycare during his State of the State address.

Democrats applaud the plan, but many Republicans aren’t as supportive.

Jason Hancock of the Missouri Independent weighs in from the Missouri Capitol.

“It helps when you have $6 billion at your disposal, you can be a little less of a fiscal hawk, I suppose. But, it’s become a big business issue. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce has been pushing childcare as a huge factor, saying it’s a workforce development issue,” Handcock said.

Missouri lawmakers also face sports betting, voter initiatives, and trigender athletes in sports.

Click the video in the player at the top of the page to watch the entire episode.

FOX4 and The Kansas City Star are partnering to bring you 4Star Politics, a special venture with new episodes airing on FOX4 every Saturday at 5:30 a.m. and posted online at FOX4KC.com.