Congress now belongs to the Republican Party.
The GOP took control of the Senate on Tuesday, wresting six states from the Democrats.
The fight isn't entirely over. Republicans can still strengthen their position by picking up a few more seats, including Alaska. But the night went smoothly for the GOP with wins in key races in Arkansas, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, West Virginia and North Carolina.
While those states had all been projected to go red, Republicans have reason to feel good that — so far at least — everything has gone according to plan.
But does control of the Senate even matter?
For one thing, the new senators have seats in Washington, D.C. for the next six years — at least. And that will affect both day-to-day business and other elections to come.
But control of the Senate is mostly important because the GOP can now shut down initiatives by the Democrats (except for what the President can pass via executive actions.) They will also be able to block Obama's cabinet and judicial nominees because a majority vote in the Senate is needed for their appointment.
In terms of specific policies, the Republicans could go after carbon emission regulations that Obama put in place, by trying to curtail the effectiveness of the Environmental Protection Agency. The president might be forced to approve a budget plan that blunts the agency's power, reversing some of his earlier work. And Republican control of the Senate means that the debate over immigration reform is likely to become even more partisan.
That said, Congress is already gridlocked since Republicans, who control the House of Representatives, can veto proposals they disagree with.
But will the Republicans be able to hold onto their advantage? Probably not.
During general elections, the electorate tends to be younger and more diverse than in midterms, and that's usually advantageous to the Democrats.
And, you know, there's an election coming up in 2016...
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
No comments:
Post a Comment