– We will hang an “America first” banner here, said leader of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson when it became known that the Republican Party secured a majority in the chamber, once again. The Republicans have thus gained a majority in both chambers of the US National Assembly, Congress; both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Last week they secured a majority in the Senate with 53 seats out of 100 seats. On Thursday, AP reports that the Republicans also get a majority in the House of Representatives with 218 out of 435 seats. Donald Trump will therefore have great opportunities to implement his policy when he moves into the White House on January 20, and the Democrats will have few opportunities to stop it. The leader is number three on the ladder. It is the vice-president who formally leads the Senate. From January, it will therefore be Trump’s vice-presidential candidate JD Vance. But in practice it is the majority leader who rules – a senator who has been voted for by the party. Republican senator John Tune was elected as the new leader of the Senate on Wednesday evening. The Republican John Thune has been elected as leader of the Senate. It happened in a secret vote on Wednesday evening. Photo: J. Scott Applewhite / AP In the House of Representatives, the leader is voted on by the members. Each party nominates a candidate, and the candidate with the most votes becomes leader. This happens at the beginning of January. The leader is called a “speaker” in American terms, and is number three on the ladder in the country, after the president and vice-president. It is a particularly powerful role. The “Speaker” decides which laws and budgets come through the eye of the needle for consideration in Congress. And can – if the “speaker” wishes – make life quite miserable for the president. Republican Mike Johnson has been “speaker” in the House of Representatives since 2023. Photo: Rogelio V. Solis The two chambers can in theory have different political majorities and be governed by different parties. For the party that loses the presidential election, it is often a certain consolation if they manage to gain power in one or both chambers of Congress, in order to be able to stick sticks in the wheels of the president. A sitting president who has Congress against him usually has great difficulty getting policies through. Not set in stone But even if the Republicans have received the most votes in both chambers, this may change during Trump’s presidency. Namely, there are elections for the House of Representatives and one third of the Senate every quarter. And it is quite common for the majority to change halfway through a presidential term. Democrat Chuck Schumer is currently the majority leader in the Senate. In January, he will be replaced by the Republican John Thune. Photo: Leah Millis / Reuters Last time Trump was president, the Democrats gradually took control of the House of Representatives. It therefore became more difficult for Trump to get his policies through in the last two years. During Joe Biden’s presidency, the Republicans gained a narrow majority in the House of Representatives midway through, and Biden therefore had to negotiate with the Republican leadership to get his issues through, including the budget, laws and reforms. Published 14.11.2024, at 06.39 Updated 14.11.2024, at 07.14
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The Republicans secure a majority in the House of Representatives – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
