The Republican party is on the brink of securing control of the U.S. House of Representatives, a development that could significantly impact the legislative landscape when Donald Trump makes a White House comeback in January.
What Happened: The Republicans are close to securing the majority in the House, having won 212 seats in the 435-member House, Reuters reported citing Edison Research. The party needs to secure six more seats to maintain control of the House.
With the Senate already under Republican control, this would give the party significant power to push through a wide-ranging agenda, including tax and spending cuts, energy deregulation, and border security measures.
Despite the ongoing vote count, the Republicans have already secured enough wins to take control of the Senate from the Democrats. However, the results of 19 House races, mainly in competitive districts in Western states, are still unclear.
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Republican senators are set to decide next week on the party’s leader in the Senate for 2025, with John Thune, John Cornyn, and Rick Scott vying for the position. On Saturday, Senators Bill Hagerty and Rand Paul endorsed Scott over the more senior Thune and Cornyn, who were initially seen as favorites.
Why It Matters: The Republicans’ potential control of the House comes on the heels of Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election. The party had already secured the Senate, ensuring that Trump’s party would control at least one chamber of Congress in the coming year.
However, there are concerns about the future of the U.S. intelligence community under Trump’s leadership, with critics fearing that he could further politicize these institutions, using them to serve his personal and political interests rather than their traditional role of safeguarding national security.
Meanwhile, Trump also plans to expand the federal death penalty during his second term, including making more individuals eligible for execution. This has raised concerns among criminal justice reform advocates and anti-death penalty groups.
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