WASHINGTON — The Republican Party has successfully secured enough seats to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives, finalizing their rise to power alongside President-elect Donald Trump. A critical victory for the GOP in Arizona, coupled with a win in California earlier this week, pushed Republicans to achieve the 218 House seats necessary for a majority. They have previously reclaimed control of the Senate from the Democrats.
With slim yet determined majorities in both chambers, GOP leaders are anticipating a mandate to radically reshape the federal government and promptly put Trump’s agenda into action. The incoming president has outlined plans for an extensive deportation initiative, the continuation of tax incentives, punitive measures against his political adversaries, and significant reforms aimed at transforming the American economy. These election results suggest that Congress will support this aggressive agenda, leaving Democrats with limited capacity to mount opposition.
In 2016, when Trump first won the presidency, Republicans also took control of Congress. However, he faced resistance from some party leaders and a Supreme Court that leaned liberal. The situation is quite different now. As he prepares to return to the White House, Trump will be supported by a Republican Party significantly influenced by his “Make America Great Again” movement, as well as a Supreme Court that has a solid conservative majority, including three justices appointed by him.
During a gathering of House Republicans at a Capitol Hill hotel, Trump made a notable appearance, marking his first visit to Washington since the recent election. While addressing the attendees, he humorously noted, “I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, ‘He’s good, we got to figure something else,’” to which the lawmakers responded with laughter.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who received Trump’s backing in his bid to remain speaker for the next term, has expressed intentions to drastically reform the federal government, highlighting his aim to reassess even the Democratic-backed initiatives that have gained popularity over the years. Johnson, a staunch conservative from Louisiana, has been aligning the House Republicans more closely with Trump as they prepare to unveil a “bold” agenda for the initial 100 days of the new Congress.
“Republicans in the House and Senate have a mandate,” Johnson emphasized earlier this week. “The American electorate is expecting us to execute and uphold that ‘America First’ philosophy.”
Trump’s allies in the House are indicating their desire for vengeance regarding the legal challenges he faced while out of office. On the same day, Trump declared his intention to nominate Representative Matt Gaetz, a loyal supporter, for the position of attorney general. In addition, Representative Jim Jordan, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, noted that GOP members are considering exploring all avenues regarding investigations into Special Counsel Jack Smith, even as the inquiries into Trump’s actions surrounding the 2020 election and classified documents are nearing their conclusion.
However, despite some races still pending determination, the Republicans are likely to hold their majority by a narrow margin as the new Congress kicks off. Trump’s decision to appoint House members to various roles in his administration, including Gaetz, Mike Waltz, and Elise Stefanik, may complicate Johnson’s ability to maintain a stable majority during the early days of the new Congress. Gaetz, who resigned immediately, has created urgency for Johnson, who hopes to fill the vacant seat before the new Congress convenes on January 3. Filling these positions will require special elections, and the districts represented by these departing members have historically leaned Republican.
Given the slim majority, a smoothly functioning House is uncertain. The previous two years of Republican leadership in the House were marked by internal strife, where hardline conservative factions often challenged party leaders openly. Though Johnson has managed to mitigate some of these resistances, the party’s right wing is emboldened following Trump’s electoral success.
Also noteworthy is that the Republican majority relies on a select group of lawmakers who won their elections by adopting moderate positions. The future compliance of these members with some of the more radical proposals from Trump and his supporters remains uncertain.
On the Democratic side, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is striving to keep Democrats engaged in legislative processes as the party navigates its own internal evaluation of recent electoral defeats. The success of his efforts will depend on unifying over 200 members under common goals.
In the Senate, GOP leadership, buoyant from their significant majority, is actively collaborating with Trump to finalize his Cabinet selections. Senator John Thune of South Dakota has been elected to replace Senator Mitch McConnell, marking a change in leadership for the party in the Senate.
While Thune has previously critiqued Trump, he expressed admiration for the incoming president during his election campaign for leadership. “This Republican team is united. We are on one team,” he said, emphasizing the party’s readiness to work with House GOP members to advance Trump’s policies.
With a Senate majority of 53 seats, Republicans will find it easier to confirm nominations for Cabinet positions and Supreme Court justices if vacancies arise. However, not all confirmations may proceed smoothly. News that Trump intends to nominate Gaetz as his attorney general raised eyebrows among Republicans, with even Trump’s closest allies in the Senate pulling back on their support in light of Gaetz facing an ethics investigation.
Trump, meanwhile, is advocating for a paradigm shift that would allow him to make administrative appointments without Senate approval during recess periods. This would significantly alter the balance of power away from the Senate, though party leadership appears to support the idea. Democratic leaders are likely to challenge such a move.
As discussions unfold, Trump’s supporters in the social media realm, including high-profile figures like Elon Musk, expressed their desire for a departure from conventional Republican appointments for Senate leadership. Thune, who served as McConnell’s right-hand man, had navigated a complicated relationship with Trump, who in the past has been openly critical of him.
Nonetheless, McConnell has cleared the way for Trump’s influence to dictate Republican direction in Washington moving forward.