WASHINGTON — Republicans will hold on to their majority in the U.S. House and regain control of the Senate when Congress convenes in January.
The GOP hadn’t clinched the 218 House seats needed for a majority until late Wednesday, when The Associated Press, the news organization that States Newsroom relies upon for race calls based on decades of experience, called control of the chamber. The AP called 208 seats for Democrats so far, with nine yet to be decided as of early Thursday.
Republican control of both chambers of Congress combines with Donald Trump’s election to give Republicans trifecta control of the federal government.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said during a press conference Tuesday before the AP projected the GOP would retain its majority that he’s been talking with fellow GOP lawmakers for months, setting up a plan for unified control of government, though he declined to share specifics.
The AP projected Republicans would hold 53 Senate seats after flipping Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia’s seats from blue to red. There was, however, an extremely small chance the Keystone State could shift back to Democrats.
Incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey had yet to concede Pennsylvania’s Senate race to Republican Dave McCormick, and the contest was heading to a recount.
GOP lawmakers could use the complicated budget reconciliation process to implement Trump’s agenda, getting them around the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster and ensuring they won’t need Democratic support.
In the meantime, Republicans, who regularly campaign on the annual deficit and cumulative national debt, must figure out a way to raise or suspend the country’s debt limit, which is set to expire on Jan. 1.
They’ll have a few months of what are known as “extraordinary measures” for the debt limit while they hash out an agreement, but need to reach some sort of deal if they want to avoid defaulting on the country’s debts for the first time in history and starting a global financial crisis.
Johnson is on track to remain at the helm in the House after aiding the party in keeping the majority, though he’ll need to go through the formality of a floor vote in January.
South Dakota Sen. John Thune will become his chamber’s next majority leader following a closed-door, secret ballot vote of Republican senators.