By Philip Elliott November 21, 2024 1:18 PM EST This article is part of The D.C. Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox. For almost two years, J.D. Vance’s arrival at the Capitol was an unremarkable affair. A first-term Senator from Ohio, the Republican finance bro -turned- best-selling author -turned- NeverTrumper -turned- ForeverTrumper typically drew few looks and little attention. But this week, his trips to the Hill have cast a bright,