US Republicans Reclaim House Majority with '218 Seats Secured'... Realized Divided Government (Comprehensive)

The Senate is Already Controlled by the Democratic Party... Biden "Ready to Work Together"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The U.S. Republican Party appears to have secured a majority status by winning more than half of the seats (218 seats) in the House of Representatives. The era in which the Democratic Party controlled both the Senate and the House has come to an end, and starting early next year for two years, the U.S. Congress will be under a divided government, with the Democrats controlling the Senate and the Republicans controlling the House.

The two parties sharing power are expected to engage in a power struggle throughout the remainder of President Joe Biden’s term until the 2024 presidential election. President Biden has officially stated that he is "ready to work with the Republican Party."

Election research organizations Edison Research, AP News, NBC, and CNN reported on the 16th (local time) that the Republicans gained momentum in California’s 27th district, predicting that the Republican Party will hold a majority of the total House seats. The Democrats are estimated to have secured 208 to 210 seats. The news of the Republicans taking control of the House came eight days after the midterm elections held on the 8th. Foreign media report that the final election results may be confirmed several months later.

The U.S. House of Representatives has 435 seats, and the party that secures at least 218 seats, the minimum majority, holds the majority status. The majority party leads the organization of the House, including the election of the Speaker and the assignment of committee chairs.

After the news of the Republicans taking control of the House was announced, President Biden sent congratulations to House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, the White House said. President Biden stated, "I am ready to work with House Republicans to deliver results for the American people." He emphasized, "The American people want us to work together, and whether Republican or Democrat, anyone who wants to deliver results for the people, I will work with them."

Earlier, the Senate majority was secured by the Democrats. With a runoff election still pending in Georgia, the Democrats have already secured 50 seats, half of the Senate. If the Democrats win the Georgia runoff, they will hold 51 seats; if they lose, the Senate seats will be split evenly between Republicans and Democrats as they are now. With Vice President Kamala Harris, the Senate’s ex officio chair, holding the casting vote, the Democrats effectively maintain majority status.

With the two parties dividing control of the Senate and House, political clashes in the U.S. are expected to be inevitable over the next two years. The Washington Post (WP) forecasted, "The Republicans’ authority to conduct various investigations or block legislation will complicate the latter half of the Biden administration." CNN reported, "They (the Republicans) plan to prioritize investigations into the Biden administration." Bloomberg News predicted that although the Republicans will set the agenda in the House, those agendas will ultimately be stifled by the Democrats in the Senate.

Contrary to pre-midterm election expectations, the Republicans did not experience a ‘Red Wave’ (Republican landslide victory), and internal divisions within the Republican Party are expected to impact U.S. politics going forward. Although McCarthy was elected as the House Speaker candidate in a private Republican caucus the day before, concerns remain that he may face significant opposition votes from within the party during the House floor vote against the Democratic candidate scheduled for January next year.

AP News compared the Republicans’ current House majority to 2001, when the Republicans held 221 seats, only 9 more than the Democrats’ 212 seats, saying, "This could be the smallest margin for a majority party in the 21st century." It further predicted that this situation will make it difficult for Republican leadership and complicate internal party dynamics.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.