A slim majority means any party member sitting in the House of Representatives can block legislation
Republicans have won back control of the House of Representatives, racking up a midterm victory that many expected to be a red wave of victories but instead turned out to be few.
Nevertheless, the party eventually won a crucial 218 seat in the lower house of Congress, wresting control from Democrats and setting the stage for a showdown with Joe Biden in the two years of his presidency. The result spelled the end of Democrat Nancy Pelosi's time as speaker of the House. He is likely to give the gavel to Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who has announced his intention to take up the post.
Control of the House is critical because it will allow Republicans to launch a series of congressional investigations into issues ranging from Biden's failed withdrawal from Afghanistan to investigations that more clearly politicize the government's actions during the Covid pandemic and the business activities of Biden's son Hunter.
A Republican-run House is likely to be a raucous affair as its predicted slim majority means it only takes a few rebels to block any legislation – essentially handing major powers to nearly every Republican member of the House. With the Republican right full of fringe figures, including Georgia's Marjorie Taylor Greene, that could be a recipe for chaos and the promotion of extremist beliefs and actions.
Biden congratulated McCarthy on his win and said he was "ready to work with House Republicans to deliver results for working families".
"Last week's election demonstrated the strength and resilience of American democracy," the president added. "There is a strong repudiation of election deniers, political violence and intimidation."
Biden and his party have entered election day high hopes of taking a hit from voters angry at the high inflation that has wreaked havoc on millions of Americans struggling with soaring bills and prices. Republicans are doubling down on that by running campaigns that stoke fears of violent crime and portray Democrats as left-wing politicians who don't care about voter concerns.
But Democrats are fighting back, highlighting the extremist nature of many Republican politicians, especially the cadre of far-right figures endorsed by Donald Trump, and warning of the threat to US democracy they represent. They were also encouraged by the backlash from the loss of federal abortion rights, which were revoked by a conservative-dominated supreme court.
The results were staggering: Democrats held out in most of the country and while Republicans won in some, such as Florida, in many others their candidate was defeated. High-profile Trump-backed candidates like Mehmet Oz and Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania lost their election.
Meanwhile, the performance of Republicans in the Senate was worse. Democrats retain control of the upper house as their incumbent senator is projected to win in Nevada on Saturday following election night.
The seat remaining up for grabs, in Georgia, will be decided in a second round between incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker in early December after neither surpassed 50% of the vote.
If Warnock wins, the Democrats will enjoy a one-seat, 51-50, majority in the 100-seat senate, a small but significant increase from the current 50-50 balance, which leaves Democrats in control as the vice president, Kamala Harris, has a decisive vote.
That situation would continue if Walker won the seat for the Republican Party. This article was written by EDUKASI CAMPUS.