Republicans have secured a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, extending their control of the lower chamber and achieving a “governing trifecta” in Washington that could give Donald Trump sweeping power to push forward his legislative agenda.
Associated Press reported on Wednesday evening that Republicans had gained at least 218 seats in the 435-member House of Representatives following a win in Arizona. This news came more than a week after polling stations closed across the U.S., and as Trump made announcements about cabinet appointments that caused shockwaves through Washington, writes The Guardian, as relayed by Gazeta Express.
This guarantees that Republicans will continue to play a significant role in key issues such as government funding, debt ceiling negotiations, and foreign aid, signaling the end of any hopes Democrats had that the House could serve as a blockade against Trump’s agenda.
Republicans had already secured the White House and regained control of the Senate, so their victory in the House of Representatives gives them the final piece of their “trifecta” in government. Although they will hold a narrow majority, Republicans have indicated that they will use their trifecta to maximum effect when the new Congress is formed in January.
Democrats campaigned unsuccessfully on the need to limit the “dysfunction” currently plaguing Congress, as the narrow Republican majority repeatedly brought the House to a standstill.
When Republicans took control of the House in January 2023, it took 15 rounds of voting to elect Kevin McCarthy as speaker, as approximately 20 far-right members refused to support him. Nine months later, McCarthy was ousted after eight of his Republican colleagues voted with House Democrats to remove him from the speakership.
A “trifecta” is a term used in U.S. politics to describe a situation where one political party controls all three branches of government: Congress, the White House (presidency), and the Supreme Court.
