How does the U.S. Congress work?
The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the United States government. It is a bicameral, composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The legislative branch drafts proposed laws, and confirms or rejects presidential nominations for heads of federal agencies, federal judges, and the Supreme court.
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How was Congress composed before the midterm elections?
Up to now, the Democratic Party has held a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives since January 2019, as a result of the 2018 elections, when they won 235 seats. Then, their majority was reduced to 222 seats in the 2020 elections. Despite a 50-50 split in the U.S. Senate, the majority was held by Democrats because when senators are evenly divided, the vice president of the U.S. has a vote in the Senate. Thus, Kamala Harris gave her vote to the Democratic Party.
This year, the federal offices that were up for election included all 435 seats of the United States House of Representatives, elected representatives will serve for a 2-year term and the 35 seats of the Class 3 senators which were last elected in 2016. Elected Senators will serve a six-year term in the U.S. Senate from January 3, 2023, to January 3, 2029.
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An exception to the rule?
The final results of this year’s midterm election won’t be known for weeks, but there’s more than enough data to state that it was very different from usual. Historically, the president’s party is almost always defeated in the midterms.
People had to wait for the Nevada state results on Saturday to find out which party will have the majority in the Senate for the next two years. Democrats retain the majority in the Senate, so they maintain the power to advance the president’s agenda and his cabinet and judicial picks. However, the Republicans are favored to win the House of Representatives; to date, they hold 211 of the 218 seats needed for a majority in the House.
In Georgia, neither the Democrat Senator nor his Republican challenger obtained more than 50% of the ballots. Therefore, the race will be decided in a runoff election on December 6. This could determine whether the Democrats will have the true majority Senate. “It’s always better at 51”, said Mr. Biden.
On the one hand, what may have encouraged Americans to vote for the Republican Party is that President Biden focuses on the war in Ukraine, perhaps more than on his own country, while economic hardship affects American citizens. On the other hand, in a few states, abortion rights and antidemocratic stances were more relevant or critical to voting for the Democratic Party.
The results matter for the political future of the United States and what happens in the next presidential election is already at stake during this midterm election.
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The impacts of the midterm election on U.S. Foreign Policy
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This midterm election raises significant concerns for foreign policy. Whatever the final outcome, the implications will have an impact far beyond America’s borders. The election is being closely watched in capitals around the world. In Moscow, citizens wonder how much longer the US will support Russia’s war in Ukraine. In Beijing, head states are watching for a possible hardening of the administration’s position on China. And from Riyadh, leaders want to see if the administration follows up on its promises to put human rights before oil prices.
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Lucas DECORNE
Published on November, 13th, 2022.