After a laborious vote count, the Republican Party regained control, Wednesday, November 16, of the House of Representatives, according to American media, thus giving itself the power to block Joe Biden’s policy until the 2024 presidential election.
After failing to take over the Senate, it is now official, the House of Representatives will be controlled by the Republican Party. It took more than a week after the day of the midterm elections, but what was expected finally becomes a certainty. By getting re-elected in the 27th district of California, Mike Garcia brings to his party the decisive 218th seat for the majority. Decisive, but not comfortable. The majority will be short and divided, analyzes our correspondent in Washington, Guillaume Naudin.
This singularly limits the room for maneuver and sharpens ambitions. Kevin McCarthy, another representative from California, realized this. In a first vote on Tuesday, he managed to remain leader of his party in the lower house. But he had to face competition from a more radical candidate than him, representing the most Trumpist fringe of the party. He will therefore have to fight and convince the members of his own group so that they allow him to reach at the beginning of January the post he has dreamed of for years, that of speaker, of president of the chamber.
The divisions are somewhat the same in the Senate, which remains under Democratic control. The indestructible leader of the Republican group, Mitch McConnell, was re-elected. But he had to face an internal opponent for the first time. The Trumpist fringe and the former president himself accuse him of being responsible for the disappointing results of these midterm elections for the Republicans with whom the knives are drawn.
President Joe Biden sent his congratulations to his political opponents after their victory.
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