Donald Trump secures control of US Congress as Republicans win majority of seats

The US Republicans have now secured enough seats to retain their majority in the House of Representatives, as reported by the Associated Press.

In the 435-seat chamber, a majority is reached when a party wins 218 seats. CBS projects that the final count of Republican seats is likely to range between 220 and 222.

Earlier this week, Republicans also secured a majority in the Senate. This grants President-elect Donald Trump’s party full control of both chambers of the US Congress, providing him with significant power to advance his legislative agenda on issues such as the economy and immigration.

Power for Trump

This “trifecta” was last achieved at the start of Trump’s first term in 2017 and continued through his first two years in office. However, the Democrats regained control of the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections. Now, with the strong loyalty he commands from many senior lawmakers, many in Washington expect Trump to wield an even firmer grip on Congress this time around.

Trump has promised sweeping changes within his first 100 days in office, including “the start of mass deportations of undocumented migrants in the US and a rollback of environmental policies enacted by the Biden-Harris administration.”

Democrats’ Leverage Remains

Although Trump will benefit from at least two years of limited congressional oversight until the next midterm elections in 2026, he will not hold unrestrained power over Congress. Democrats may still exert some influence over his administration in targeted, meaningful ways.

While budget and tax changes require only a simple majority in both chambers, most other legislation must clear the Senate filibuster, a 60-vote threshold, to pass. “This means that Democrats can block some other Trump legislative priorities, such as the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, known as ‘Obamacare’.” This was also the case during Trump’s first term, when an attempt to repeal the healthcare reform ultimately failed.

Furthermore, the Republican majority in the House of Representatives is expected to remain narrow, meaning that individual Republicans who diverge from the party line could present challenges.

A Few Bumps in the Road

As the new Congress convenes, Republicans may hold only a slim majority, with some races yet to be finalised. Additionally, Trump’s decision to appoint House members to positions in his administration could hinder the party’s ability to maintain its majority in the initial days of the new Congress, as these seats will remain vacant until special elections are held to fill them.

This scenario is somewhat reminiscent of Ghana’s hung parliament. However, both major parties in Ghana could only imagine such a favourable position for the Republicans in relation to Trump’s second term.

With Ghana’s elections just over three weeks away, it remains to be seen how the outcome will shape the parliamentary majority.

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