On Tuesday, November 8, 2022, the midterm elections marked the first two years of Joe Biden’s presidential term. During each midterm, the House of Representatives’ 435 seats, along with a third of the 100 seats in the Senate, will be determined. After the 2020 election , the Democrats held the majority in both the Senate and the House, with Kamala Harris as the Senate President and Nancy Pelosi as the Speaker of the House. This election will mark the end of the 117th United States Congress, and the start of the 118th, with terms ending and starting respectively on January 3, 2023.
The makeup of the 118th United States Congress would contrast the previous Democrat majority. As of November 17, 2022, the House of Representatives holds a Republican Majority, marking the end of Nancy Pelosi’s term as the Speaker of the House. The Senate is still waiting on the outcome of Georgia’s election, but it is predicted to hold a Democratic majority.
Gary Nordlinger, a politics professor at George Washington University, said, “Whoever controls the House or the Senate controls the agenda.” A president’s ability to direct agenda depends on their party controlling both the House and the Senate; if not, their legislation can be filibustered and blocked, leading to an unproductive presidency. Before the midterm elections, both the Legislative and Executive Branch were controlled by Democrats, which was beneficial for the Democratic Party. Historically, both branches of Congress would be controlled by the rival party of the President; while the Democratic Party’s majority allowed easy passage for Biden’s bills, with the current election results, however, the Biden administration and the Democratic Party will experience harsh backlash. It will be more arduous for Democrats to get their agendas out due to the Republican majority in the House and the Senate being divided into half with a narrow Democratic majority, and Biden’s past freedom will be largely restricted.
Sources
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Italy, U. S. Mission. “What Are Midterm Elections, and Why Are They Important?” U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Italy, 8 Nov. 2022, it.usembassy.gov/what-are-midterm-elections-and-why-are-they-important-2/.
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“Understanding the Election | AP.” Associated Press, www.ap.org/about/our-role-in-elections/#nav-primary-1. Accessed 18 Nov. 2022.
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“118th United States Congress.” Wikipedia, 17 Nov. 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/118th_United_States_Congress. Accessed 18 Nov. 2022.
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“117th United States Congress.” Wikipedia, 25 Jan. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/117th_United_States_Congress.