The Patriot Post® · Congress Results and Ramifications

With votes still being counted, the picture of Congress’s makeup is slowly becoming clearer. What is evident is that Republicans have taken control of the Senate with, at the moment, a 52-seat majority. There’s a realistic possibility of the GOP securing a 54-seat majority and an outside shot at a majority as high as 57 seats.

Taking the Senate is an enormous win for Republicans and Donald Trump. This will ensure that he can quickly secure the cabinet of his choice. But even more importantly, it will remove Democrat roadblocks to his judiciary nominations and potential Supreme Court nominations. Arguably, the most important thing Trump accomplished in his first term was the makeup of the Supreme Court. Now, the possibility of the Court’s two oldest justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, retiring does not present a foreboding scenario but a significant opportunity for Trump to establish a constitutionally committed conservative Court for long into the future.

In the race for the House, it looks neck and neck. Republicans currently have secured more seats than the Democrats, 205 to 191, but there are still 39 seats yet to be determined. Control of the House will be imperative for Trump to succeed in implementing his agenda.

That agenda includes making the 2017 tax cuts permanent, border enforcement, and shrinking the regulatory state.

Also, equally important, if not more so, Republicans retaining control of the House will prevent the Democrats from being able to impeach Trump over more bogus and politically ginned-up charges. Following the 2018 midterms, when Democrats regained control of the House, Trump was dogged by their repeated efforts to get him thrown from office.

If Trump is to succeed in draining the swamp, cutting government waste, and transforming Washington’s bureaucratic state, he must avoid having Congress impede his efforts.

This time around, Trump will need Republican leaders in Congress who actually embrace his agenda rather than undermine it in favor of the Washington establishment class. Republican control of both chambers of Congress is a necessary first step toward this reality. Trump winning the national popular vote only helps establish a mandate from the nation to move forward on his America First agenda.

Should the Democrats win control of the House, it will blunt an otherwise great night for Trump, Republicans, and the nation. However, whether Democrats or Republicans gain or maintain control of the House, there will be a slim majority. This reality will leave little room for either Speaker Mike Johnson or current Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to attempt to push through extreme or controversial legislation.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, Republicans will soon be choosing a new leader since Mitch McConnell earlier this year announced he will be stepping down as party leader following the election. Who the Republicans choose will have a significant impact on the future direction of the party, likely well beyond Trump’s presidency.

All in all, these are good problems for Republicans to have. Hopefully, they don’t squander their advantage.