The BBC’s partner in the US, CBS, expects that a week after the midterm elections, Republicans have secured the 218 seats needed to secure a majority in the House of Representatives.
While Republicans have a very slim lead in the House of Representatives, it’s enough to delay President Biden’s agenda for the next two years.
Democrats will retain control of the Senate when the new Congress meets in January.
Republicans, who had hoped to regain control of both houses of Congress, underperformed expectations in last week’s midterm elections.
But in Wednesday’s election, incumbent Mike Garcia of California’s 27th district won, giving Republicans the one seat they need for a majority in the House of Representatives.
According to CBS, Republicans are currently expected to win up to 223 of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives.
But their majorities may not be certain for days or even weeks as vote counting in questionable constituencies is still ongoing.
Grassroots Republicans on Tuesday nominated Kevin McCarthy to replace Democrat Nancy Pelosi as the next House Speaker, marking her “official return” to the House.
“Americans are ready for a new direction and House Republicans are ready to implement it,” the California congressman tweeted Wednesday evening.
To be elected speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican minority leaders in the House must win a majority of the 435-member House.
But Pelosi hinted that he would not quietly relinquish the presidency of the House of Representatives. In a statement Wednesday night, he promised his party “will wield a strong influence on the narrow Republican majority.”
As the first female Speaker of the House, Pelosi, 82, did not mention in her news release whether she intends to remain minority leader, amid speculation about her future in Washington.
US President Biden congratulated McCarthy and expressed his willingness to work with Republicans to achieve results for the American people.
“As I said last week, the future is very promising and you can’t get involved in political battles,” Biden said.
“The American people want us to make a difference. They want us to focus on the issues that matter to them and make their lives better.”
Republicans had hoped that the president’s relatively low approval ratings, intractable inflation, and a Republican-led legislature redrawing the map of Congress would give them the midterm victory.
Blame for the party’s poor performance last week has largely fallen on two leaders: former President Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
At his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Tuesday night, Trump formally announced his third bid for the 2024 presidency.
In Washington on Wednesday, McConnell was reelected as Senate Minority Leader, fending off a challenge from Florida Republican Rick Scott.
Karen Bass (right) won the mayoral election of Los Angeles.
The results of the non-parliamentary elections are still slowly emerging more than a week before election day.
Congresswoman Karen Bass defeated billionaire businessman Rick Caruso on Wednesday and is expected to become the next mayor of Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States.
The Democrat will become the first female mayor of Los Angeles and the second black mayor in the city’s history.
Nancy Pelosi has come a long way with a margin of just nine seats and has shown that she has an extraordinary knack for arguing with stubborn Democrats. But there’s no guarantee that Republicans, from moderates in hotly contested suburban boroughs to conservative hardliners in the Freedom Caucus, will cooperate equally with the party leadership.
Still, a majority is a majority, and assuming Republicans can band together to elect a speaker when the entire House votes next January, they’ll reap the rewards of a midterm victory. Under House rules, the majority party has the power to decide which legislation gets a vote and which is up in the balance. Republicans would also take control of all House committees, with broad oversight and subpoena powers.
While the bickering Republican caucus may disagree on many issues, it will be able to stall Biden’s agenda, forcing him to contest federal budget priorities.
That in itself is a significant accomplishment for a party that has seen Democrats score a string of legislative wins over the past two years.
