Amid the heated presidential race between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump – who won comfortably – much of the focus has been on the race for control of Congress.
Congress is an important part of American politics as it is the legislative branch of the US government. It has two parts: the US Senate and the US House of Representatives.
As of Wednesday evening, Republicans won the Senate and the bid for control of the House continues.
Here’s a look at the two chambers of Congress, their functions, the state of elections, and what control of Congress means to the president.
What is the House of Representatives?
The House is the lower house of Congress made up of 435 elected members, divided among the 50 states in proportion to their population. This means that states with larger populations have more representatives than smaller states. There are also six non-voting members representing the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and four other US territories: American Samoa, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, according to the report. the official website of the White House.
The House is headed by the Speaker of the House who is elected by the representatives. Normally, whichever party has the majority in the House gets to choose the Speaker.
Each representative is appointed for a two-year term. They must be at least 25 years old, have been a US citizen for at least seven years, and be a resident of the state (but not necessarily the state) they represent.
What is the Senate?
The Senate is the upper chamber of Congress consisting of 100 Senators – two from each state. Until the 17th Amendment to the US Constitution in 1913, Senators were elected by the state legislature and not by popular vote. However, after the amendment was made, Senators began to be elected for six years by the people of each state. About one-third of the Senate is reelected every two years. A person needs to be at least 30 years old to be a Senator, and must be a US citizen for at least nine years, and be a resident of the state they represent.
The Vice President acts as President of the Senate and can cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie in the Senate.
What are the House and Senate doing?
The House and Senate together make and pass federal laws, introduce bills and resolutions, and make amendments. Members of these two chambers also work in different committees to develop specialized knowledge on issues under that committee, according to a report by The Policy Circle, a non-profit organization based in the US.
There are, however, some differences in the power of the two rooms. For example, the House has special powers to initiate revenue Bills, impeach government officials, and elect the president in the event of an election.
On the other hand, the Senate has the sole power to approve or reject treaties, and to confirm or reject Presidential appointments – such as those of Supreme Court justices – that require approval. There are two exceptions to this: The House must also approve the Vice President’s nomination and any deal involving foreign trade, the White House website says. The Senate also tries impeachment cases against government officials referred to it by the House.
How is the election situation?
On November 5, 34 seats in the Senate and the entire House of Representatives were to be up for election.
Republicans regained control of the Senate after four years pushing their tally to 52 – the party needs 50 seats to get a majority. Before Wednesday, Democrats held a slim majority in the Senate. They had 48 Senators and the support of three independent Senators who supported the party with important votes.
In the House race, Republicans lead Democrats by about 20 seats as of Wednesday evening, according to the New York Times. While the Republicans have 197 seats in their account, the Democrats have 177 seats – the majority mark is 218. As the race is expected to be close, it could take days or even weeks to count enough votes to determine the final winner.
How does controlling congressional victories help the president’s agenda?
As racism has permeated American politics, especially in recent years, it has become increasingly important for the president to have party control over the Senate and the House. A divided Congress could force the president to ignore some campaign promises and focus on bipartisan priorities, and enact desirable legislation through executive actions.
Control of the Senate is also important. For example, it would allow the president to appoint judges to various courts, including the Supreme Court. Notably, in his first term, Trump was able to confirm 234 justices, including the three Supreme Court justices who proved essential to repeal. Roe v. Wadeaccording to the report of Vox.
A majority in the House helps advance the president’s legislative agenda. For example, Republicans are looking to control the lower chamber to renew the tax cuts they passed in 2017.
However, although presidents often enter office with their party controlling both the House and Senate and the executive branch, every president since 1980 has faced a divided government.