Two threatened U.S. House Republicans in California triumphed over Democratic challengers on Monday, helping the GOP take control of the House while a series of congressional races in the state remained in play. In a tight race southeast of Los Angeles, Republican Rep. Michelle Steel defeated Democrat Jay Chen, while east of Los Angeles, Republican Rep. Ken Calvert scored a victory over Democrat Will Rollins. Ten state races remained undecided as vote counting continued, though only a few were considered tight enough to break either way. 218 seats are needed to control the Parliament. Republicans have so far locked up 217 seats, with Democrats up for 205. Republicans entered the election needing to flip just five seats for control of the House. The full extent of the party’s majority may not be clear for several more days — or weeks — as votes in competitive races are still being counted. Democrats have already won control of the Senate by flipping a vacant seat in Pennsylvania and retaining those in Nevada and Arizona. A Georgia runoff on Dec. 6 could give President Joe Biden’s party an extra seat.
A narrow margin, not what Republicans had predicted
A House majority would give conservatives leverage to soften Biden’s agenda and trigger a flurry of investigations. But a small numerical advantage also poses challenges and complicates the party’s ability to govern, and is also a long way from the sweeping victory Republicans predicted in this year’s midterm elections. The results could complicate House Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s plans to become president, as some conservative members have questioned whether to support him or have put conditions on their support. Florida Republican Matt Gaetz said Monday he has endorsed fellow Ohio Republican Jim Jordan for the seat. The Sunday Magazine21:03 How abortion rights shaped the results of the US midterm elections Amid the uncertainty surrounding the midterm elections in the United States, voters gave a show of support for reproductive rights. Canadian-American lawyer and journalist Dahlia Lithwick joins Piya Chattopadhyay to offer analysis on how the issue shaped the results, how abortion access has been affected in some states, what the future makeup of Congress might mean for Americans and what will happen to the Supreme Court after the election. Narrow margins have upended Republican politics and led to finger-pointing about what went wrong. Some in the GOP have blamed Donald Trump for the worse-than-expected result. The former president, who is expected to announce a third White House bid on Tuesday, singled out candidates during this year’s primaries who struggled to win during the general election. Despite his overwhelming showing, with a majority, Republicans would take control of House committees, enabling them to shape legislation and launch investigations into Biden, his family and his administration. There is particular interest in the investigation into the business dealings of the president’s son Hunter Biden. Some of the more conservative lawmakers have raised the prospect of impeaching Biden, though that will be much more difficult for the party to achieve with a narrow majority. Any legislation that emerges from the House could face major setbacks in the Senate, where a narrow Democratic majority will often be enough to derail legislation championed by Republicans. With such a slim majority in the House, there is the potential for legislative chaos. The dynamic essentially gives a single member enormous influence in shaping what happens in the chamber. That could lead to particularly difficult conditions for Republican leaders as they try to win support for must-pass measures that keep the government funded or raise the debt ceiling. US President Joe Biden, seen Tuesday at the G20 leaders’ summit in Nusa Dua, Indonesia, could see his agenda stymied over the next two years by House Republicans. (Kevin Lamarque/The Associated Press) Many Republicans in the incoming Congress also rejected the results of the 2020 presidential election, even though allegations of widespread fraud have been dismissed by courts, election officials and Trump’s own attorney general. Republican candidates pledged on the campaign trail to cut taxes and strengthen border security. Republican lawmakers could also freeze aid to Ukraine as it wages war with Russia, or use the threat of the country’s debt default as leverage to extract cuts to social spending and entitlements. As a former senator and vice president, Biden has spent a career working across the aisle to craft legislative compromises. But in recent weeks, Biden has criticized the current Republican Party for what he called undemocratic behavior. Biden said in recent days the midterm elections show voters want Democrats and Republicans to find ways to work together and govern in a bipartisan way.
Pelosi’s future is unclear
The overthrow of Parliament raises questions about the future for the current President. Nancy Pelosi, 82, led Democrats in the House for nearly 20 years and became the first female US speaker in 2007. After four years in the post, she was re-elected to the post again after Democrats won the 2018 midterm elections. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appears on Monday at the US Capitol building in Washington. Pelosi has led her party in the House since 2003, but it is likely that she will have to hand over the gavel as Speaker to a Republican. (Leah Millis/Reuters) There has been some pressure from younger members of the House of Democrats to pass the torch to new leaders, with Pelosi and her two congressmen — Steny Hoyer of Maryland and Jim Clyburn of South Carolina — all over 80 years old. Pelosi said Sunday that her decision on whether to run again for the leadership of her party would be about “the family” but also “my colleagues,” citing the need to move forward “in a very unified way” in the new Congress and in the presidential election of 2024. campaign season. Pelosi’s decision also comes after her husband was attacked late last month at the couple’s San Francisco home, suffering a fractured skull and other injuries. The intruder, a Canadian who had overstayed his US visa, asked “Where’s Nancy?” before hammering Paul Pelosi. He was in Washington at the time.
