Republicans win majority in U.S. House of Representatives

More than a week after the opening of the polls in the United States, the situation is finally clear: the Republicans have won the majority in the House of Representatives. A handful of neck and neck tie-breaking races have fallen in favor of the Republicans this week. As of late Tuesday night, Republicans held 217 seats, one seat shy of a majority. On Wednesday, another redeeming seat was added: Representative Mike Garcia of California left his Democratic challenger Christy Smith so far behind that she can no longer make up the difference.

Control of the House of Representatives is a key asset for Republicans. The Senate will remain in Democratic hands after the midterm elections. The House will thus become the party’s main platform for resisting Biden’s policies.

The extent of Republican dominance remains uncertain. The results are still not known in seven races. Even at the best of times, their majority will turn out to be meager.

Republicans came out of this election weaker than they hoped, but stronger than they were. The House victory has important implications for the balance of power between the two parties and for Biden’s presidency.

A Republican house can create major obstacles

The Senate and the House of Representatives, the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States, have many similarities. Both can introduce bills, which must be approved by the other house. For Republicans, a House victory will not be enough to radically derail Biden’s current policies.

Biden’s policy remains shielded from many attacks. Laws passed earlier, like last year’s climate law, cannot be revoked by Republicans. What they also won’t be able to do is block presidential nominations. This power is in the hands of the Senate, and therefore of the Democrats.

Cooperation between the two parties has always been easier in the 435-member House of Representatives than in the smaller and highly polarized 100-member Senate. Still, passing new laws will be much more difficult now that they require at least some Republican support in the House. On the other hand, a House dominated by Republicans can create major obstacles. Republican delegates will put everything Biden does, has done or hasn’t done under a magnifying glass.

The House has the power to initiate and terminate parliamentary inquiries. Prominent figures have vowed in recent months that they would shut down the investigation into the Capitol storming. Instead, they will look at Biden’s actions, and perhaps even those of his family.

In recent months, party members have hinted at investigations into the dramatic U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, relations with China and, in particular, the business perils of Hunter Biden, the president’s second son. Whether they have enough support or evidence for this remains to be seen. For the president, the prospect is unpleasant to say the least.

The House also has the power to initiate impeachment proceedings

Another power that belongs exclusively to the House of Representatives is Accused. Donald Trump managed to get through two such impeachment proceedings during his presidency. There’s a good chance Republicans in the House will try to use that force against Joe Biden.

Such a procedure will almost certainly die in the Democratic-dominated Senate, but it will be a painful and time-consuming hurdle for Biden. For Republicans, their relatively small minority is also an obstacle here. The resignation of a handful of delegates would disrupt such a plan. To effectively antagonize Democrats with such a small majority, all noses within the Republican faction must point in the same direction — and keep pointing. The first question for Republicans is who should do this.

Internal struggle

Since Monday, members of the Republican Party have been discussing behind closed doors who will lead the new majority. The Speaker of the House of Representatives plays a prominent role as the leader of the majority faction. The president is also second in line to the presidency after the vice president.

California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, 57, has long had his sights set on the position. On Tuesday evening, the party named him president, but he has yet to win the award. McCarthy enjoys little support, especially among ultra-conservative and pro-Trump delegates. This “Freedom Caucus” backed McCarthy challenger Andy Biggs on Tuesday. To be elected in January, when the new Congress takes office, McCarthy needs the support of at least half of all members. The meager Republican profit does not make his task any easier.

The party is internally in a leadership battle. Various Republican movements want to make their voices heard in the next two years. The president will soon have to find a way to unite all these different voices behind him. The leadership battle shows the challenge Republicans will face in the next two years, even with a majority.