Democratic leaders described the result — sealed late Saturday with a victory for the incumbent senator in Nevada — as a vindication of their agenda and a rebuke of Republican candidates, many of whom had parroted former President Donald Trump’s false claims of a sweeping election. fraud. “We were on the brink of authoritarianism, and thank God the American people pulled us back in this election,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said at a press conference on Sunday. The better-than-expected performance gave Biden, who has faced low approval ratings ahead of Tuesday’s election amid persistently high inflation, a political boost ahead of expected heated talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on a range of geopolitical issues. Monday in Indonesia. Republicans, however, remained close to taking control of the House of Representatives as officials continued to count ballots, with returns still pouring in for several races, including many in liberal-leaning California. By late Saturday, Republicans had won 211 seats and Democrats 205, with 218 needed for a majority. It may take several days for the outcome of several House races to be known to determine which party will control the 435-seat chamber. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 82, told ABC News and CNN that she would not make an announcement about whether she plans to remain in the House leadership until after control of the House is decided. There had been speculation she would step down if Democrats lost the majority, especially after her husband was attacked by an intruder in their San Francisco home last month. House Republicans, if they prevail, have pledged to try to roll back Biden’s climate change legislation and want to make permanent a series of tax cuts set to expire in 2017. Investigations into the activities of the Biden administration and investigations into the president’s son, who had business dealings with Ukraine and China, were also sworn in. Jim Banks, Republican of Indiana, said Sunday he expected his party to win a slim majority in the House and serve as “the last line of defense to block the Biden agenda,” while launching investigations into the departure of USA from Afghanistan. , the origins of COVID and pandemic lockdowns. “This should be a focal point of every committee in Congress, especially in the Republican-controlled House,” Banks said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.”
FOCUS ON AGRICULTURE
Democrats will control the Senate, as they have for the past two years, with 50 of its 100 seats, thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. Their majority was secured by Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, who narrowly defeated Republican Adam Laxalt. “When the national pundits said I couldn’t win, I knew Nevada would prove them wrong,” Cortez Masto said in a victory speech Sunday morning. For the Senate, attention will now turn to Georgia, where Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker face off in a Dec. 6 runoff. If Warnock were to win, the Democrats’ 51-49 majority would give them an extra edge in passing the few bills that can proceed with a simple majority, rather than the 60 required for most legislation. Hovering over the 2022 midterm elections all year is Trump, who has used his continued popularity among far-right conservatives to influence the GOP’s race-based candidates for Congress, the state and local government. With Republicans underperforming — even if they win a narrow majority in the House — Trump has been accused of boosting candidates who were unable to appeal to a broad enough electorate. A Republican loss in Georgia could further dent Trump’s popularity as advisers say he is considering announcing this week a third run for the presidency in 2024. The result may increase the chances that Florida Gov. Ron DeSandis, who unseated his Democratic challenger on Tuesday, will choose to challenge Trump for the 2024 presidential nomination. Democrats had portrayed Republicans as extremists, pointing to the Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate the nation’s right to abortion and the hundreds of Republican candidates who promoted Trump’s baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. Pelosi credited her party’s performance to Democratic candidates who knew their districts and stayed focused on issues voters cared about, even as pundits in Washington predicted heavy losses and called for a change in approach. “They knew the value of a woman’s right to choose. They knew how important it was to protect our democracy. They knew the contrast between themselves and their opponents,” Pelosi told ABC. Continued control of the Senate means Democrats will still be able to approve Biden’s nominees, such as federal judges. That would include Supreme Court appointees should vacancies open in the next two years on the 6-3 conservative majority seat. Reporting by Tim Reid in Phoenix and Kanishka Singh, Richard Cowan and Jason Lange and Joel Schectman in Washington. Written by Kanishka Singh and Nathan Layne. Edited by William Mallard and Bill Berkrot Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
