Democrats will take control of both chambers of Congress in January after a midterm sweep their own strategists called monumental, and party leaders have started to sketch what they plan to do with it. Republicans lost Senate seats they had held for decades and House seats drawn to elect only Republicans, in what the Guardian described as the biggest midterm defeat for a governing party in more than fifty years.
Incoming House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries named healthcare as the first priority. He promised to push bills restoring the premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act plans and reversing the Medicaid cuts Republicans approved last year. He also promised action aimed at making President Donald Trump roll back his tariffs and end the conflict with Iran.
The party plans to work on two tracks at once, according to the Guardian: investigating the administration and passing legislation. Greg Casar, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told reporters Democrats should send bold bills to the president’s desk every week, starting with bans on price gouging, Super PACs and stock trading by members of Congress.
One option stays off the list. Jeffries said no member of the House Democratic caucus had raised impeachment with him, and the party appears to accept that Senate Republicans would not remove Trump. Trump stays in the White House until January 2029 and can veto any bill that lacks overwhelming support.
The new Congress convenes on January 3, 2027. Democrats will then hold the gavels on committees, investigations, legislation and Senate confirmations for the first time in Trump’s current term.
Source: The Guardian
