However, the slim majority of Republicans in the lower house of the US legislature will be much smaller than the party believed. The GOP also failed to take control of the Senate in a historically weak performance in the Nov. 8 midterm elections. Regardless, the result now means that power in Congress is divided and Republicans will have a legislative basis to oppose Mr. Biden’s agenda. NBC and CNN predicted victory for Republicans with at least 218 seats in the 435-member House of Representatives – the magic number needed to take control. That came a week after millions of Americans went to the polls for the midterm elections, which typically reject the party in the White House. Biden congratulated top House Republican Kevin McCarthy “for the Republicans winning the House majority” and added that he is “ready to work with House Republicans to deliver results for working families.” Last week’s vote, he said, was “a powerful rejection of election deniers, political violence and intimidation” and demonstrated “the strength and resilience of American democracy.” Mr. McCarthy won his party’s leadership in a secret ballot on Tuesday, putting him in the lead to be the next speaker to replace veteran Democrat Nancy Pelosi.
