A week after Americans went to the polls, the shape of the new Congress is becoming clear, and it points to a significant shift in Washington's balance of power.
Lawmakers returned to the Capitol on Monday for a lame-duck session with the midterm results largely settled. Republicans came back diminished after what one report described as substantial losses in the elections held on November 3. Democrats swept to a commanding majority in the House, winning at least 255 of the chamber's 435 seats, and are positioned to pick up seats in the Senate as well, with projections putting their total there as high as 56.
Midterm elections, held two years into a presidential term, have historically tended to go against the party holding the White House, and this year followed that pattern closely. The scale of the shift means that when the new Congress is seated in January, Democrats will control the House outright and will have a much stronger position in the Senate than they held before the election, even if they fall short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster on most legislation.
The results matter well beyond Capitol Hill head counts. A new House majority will control committee gavels, subpoena power, and the legislative calendar for the next two years, shaping everything from government funding fights to oversight of federal agencies. With a presidential election still two years away, the new Congress will also set the tone for how much of the current president's remaining agenda can move through the legislative branch versus relying on executive action.
Newly elected lawmakers will begin orientation in the coming weeks, and leadership elections in both parties, including questions about who leads Senate Democrats, are expected before the new Congress convenes in January.
When does the new Congress take office?
The newly elected lawmakers are seated in January, after the current lame-duck Congress finishes its remaining business.
Does this change who controls government funding decisions right now?
Not immediately. The current Congress, still under Republican control, must handle the next funding deadline before the new Congress is seated.