Georgia Democratic Senate candidates Raphael Warnock (R) and Jon Ossoff (L) are placed on their elbows during a “It’s time to vote” rally on December 28, 2020 in Stonecrest, Georgia.
Jessica McGowan | Getty Images
Democrats are expected to take control of the Senate on Wednesday when they promise three new party members.
Democratic Elected Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff of Georgia and nominee Alex Padilla of California will take office in the afternoon, leading the party split in the Senate to 50-50. Newly appointed Vice President Kamala Harris, who will hold the House tiebreaker vote, is expected to swear in the three senators.
The narrow Democratic majority will give a boost to President Joe Biden as he tries to fill his cabinet and pass an agenda led by a coronavirus relief package. While the new Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democrats will decide what the Senate is pursuing, they will face a challenge in finding Republican support to pass most legislation.
Warnock, 51, and Ossoff, 33, won special elections last month that determined control of the chamber. They will become the first black and Jewish senators, respectively, from Georgia.
Padilla, 47, was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to take Harris Senate seat when she resigned as vice president. He became the first Latin senator in California.
Ossoff on Wednesday posted photos of Georgia’s elected senators at the presidential inauguration ceremonies. He wrote along with them, “Change has come to Georgia. Change is coming to America.”
Schumer, DN.Y., and the next Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Are due to reach an agreement on how to conduct Senate business in the coming weeks. They will need a power-sharing agreement to decide how many members each party has on the committees and how these panels resolve the ties.
McConnell’s office has said it wants to ensure the Senate preserves the filibuster as part of an agreement. Some Democrats have called for getting rid of the tool to allow legislation to be passed with a simple majority of votes.
The Senate must also establish a structure for a trial to remove former President Donald Trump. The House accused him of inciting an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, but has yet to send the dismissal article to the Senate.
Biden hopes the Senate will be able to devote part of its time to the impeachment trial without failing to confirm candidates for the executive branch.
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