US Republican Party wins majority in House of Representatives
Washington, Nov 16 (EFE).- The United States Republican Party achieved a majority Wednesday in the House of Representatives, after a vote that lasted more than a week since elections that were held on Nov. 8.
According to the projections of the CNN and NBC television channels, Republicans have already secured 218 of the 435 seats, the minimum necessary to guarantee power in that chamber.
Democrats currently have 210 seats and accumulate a net loss of 11 seats compared to the previous elections.
As of late Wednesday, the count is still active in eight constituencies: in seven of them the dispute is between a Democratic and a Republican candidate, while in one seat in California the contest is between two Democrats.
The congressman of this last seat is already counted for practical purposes among the Democratic ranks, but the name of the person who finally occupies that position is yet to be known.
The victory in the House of Representatives will give the conservatives the ability to substantially hinder the legislative agenda of the president, Joe Biden, starting in January – the date on which the new legislature begins – and for the next two years.
The presidency of the House of Representatives is currently held by Democrat Nancy Pelosi and the Republican Party on Tuesday nominated the current minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, to succeed her starting January.
Democrats hold the majority in both the Lower House and the Senate since 2021.
Progressives managed to secure control of the upper house in the midterm elections by winning enough seats to reach 50 out of 100 senators, a sufficient number because the tiebreaker vote fell to Vice President Kamala Harris.
From January, the US Congress will be divided, with the Democrats leading the Senate – which plays a key role, for example, in confirming government positions – and Republicans leading the House of Representatives, which controls everything related to fiscal legislation and the budget. EFE
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