On Wednesday, Democratic President Joe Biden called on Republicans to work together to advance domestic and foreign policy goals, including helping Ukraine fend off Russian invasion, as midterm elections draw closer. The results of Tuesday's election were not clear enough for a project that will control Congress from January.
Republicans have been seen as closer to retaking the House of Representatives, while Democrats have shown surprising strength, winning a race considered crucial to retaining the Senate. At a post-election news conference, Biden praised his party's performance and said a "huge red wave" of sweeping Republican victories, as some pundits suggested, "did not materialize." Working with my Republican colleagues.
I think the American people have made it clear that they expect Republicans to be willing to work with me as well.” On foreign policy, I hope we continue this bipartisan approach to countering Russia's aggression in Ukraine .
Concerns that a Republican-controlled House of Representatives could complicate the Biden administration's efforts to support Kyiv, after Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy warned his party would not issue a "blank check" for Ukraine if he wins - Republicans aligned themselves with former President Donald Trump, who pursued a unilateralist "America First" foreign policy during his four-year term through January 2021. The House of Representatives would likely cloud the prospects for the remaining two years of Trump's presidency.
Biden as House of Representatives could block passage of large spending bills and increase administration oversight.
A Republican-led Senate would also have the power to block elections for the president's cabinet and candidates for the judiciary. The president's party usually loses seats in the House of Representatives in midterm elections, which usually serve as a referendum on the incumbent president. the average loss since 1974 has been 23 seats, according to Gallup. The Democratic Party entered the home stretch of this year's midterm campaign, with voters increasingly concerned about high inflation.
Biden's popularity has also remained low, reducing Democrats' chances of retaining a majority in the House of Representatives. During the campaign, Biden tried to draw attention to Trump and his "extremist" wing of the Republican Party, warning that they threaten democracy and fundamental rights. , including through their denial of the results of the 2020 presidential campaign.
Democrats have also championed access to abortion, drawing on a strong public backlash sparked by a Supreme Court decision in June overturning a landmark ruling by 1973, which guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion. In Tuesday's election, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and about a third of the 100 seats in the Senate were on the ballot. In addition, 36 of the 50 states had gubernatorial elections.
Currently, the Democratic Party has a slim majority in the House of Representatives. The Senate is split evenly, but Democrats hold the majority due to Vice President Kamala Harris' landmark vote. Control of the Senate has shrunk to a few.
In Pennsylvania, Democrat John Fetterman, the eastern state's lieutenant governor known for his tattoos and hoodies, defeated Republican television personality Mehmet Oz, who was supported by Trump. expected in December.6 between Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock and former Republican college football star Herschel Walker, backed by Trump, according to U.media.
The results of the midterm elections will likely affect a potential re-election for 79-year-old Biden in 2024. and the political career of Trump, 76, who has actively rallied behind Republican candidates in the midterm cycle and appears eager to retake the White House following his 2020 loss to Biden. But he added that he had "a great respect for fate" and that the move was "ultimately a family decision".He also said he could make a judgment early next year.