Republicans Retain House Majority

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Facts

  • CNN and NBC have projected that Republicans will win another two House races in the 2024 election, giving them the 218 seats necessary to retain their majority. The GOP will now control the Presidency, the House, and the Senate in the next Congress.[1][2]
  • While the GOP held onto several competitive seats in toss-up districts, the Democrats lost critical House districts in areas that Democratic Pres. Joe Biden had won in 2020. The latest two GOP wins were in California and Arizona.[1][3]
  • However, Democrats could also flip seats, such as three Republican-held seats in New York and one in California. In Pennsylvania, Republicans unseated two Democrats, including the party's top member of the House Ethics Committee.[4]
  • Also on Wednesday, Pres.-elect Donald Trump endorsed House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to remain the party's leader into the next Congress, after which his colleagues nominated him for the position in a closed-door vote.[5]
  • With Johnson reportedly receiving a unanimous vote from his party, he's expected to become House speaker again when the entire chamber of Democrats and Republicans takes a vote.[6][7]
  • The House nominations, including Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) retaining his House majority leader position, came the same day that Senate Republicans voted for Sen. John Thune (R-SD) as their new party leader.[7]

Sources: [1]CNN, [2]Breitbart, [3]ABC News, [4]NBC, [5]Townhall, [6]FOX News and [7]Axios.

Narratives

  • Republican narrative, as provided by YouTube. After failing Trump the first time they controlled Congress after the 2016 election, Republicans have a second chance to enact the legislation that Trump and his supporters have been asking for. With Trump backing Speaker Johnson in the House and the Senate setting up their leadership, it's time to draft America First laws and have them waiting for the next president in January.
  • Democratic narrative, as provided by NPR Online News. Despite GOP control of Congress, Trump will likely face legislative challenges due to several factors. Senate Majority Leader Thune's commitment to maintaining the filibuster grants Democrats veto power, complicating Trump's agenda. Additionally, Speaker Johnson's slim House majority and intra-party divisions mean Trump can only guarantee partial support, limiting his ambitions.