Georgia Elections | Joe Biden | The vital importance of controlling Congress for the president – elect APTZ | WORLD

After the November election, Democrats regained the White House, retained control of the House of Representatives, and this week managed to hold the Senate in their hands again, an immense political triumph that empowers the new government of Joe Biden.

Despite the polarization of the country, especially after what happened last Wednesday with the assault on the Capitol, The next president will have Congress by his side to be able to carry out his plans and his agenda and thus forget the last four years of Donald Trump.

After the dramatic victory this week in Georgia, when the Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff managed to snatch two seats from the Democrats in the Senate, the distribution of forces has been as follows: 50 seats for Democrats and 50 for Republicans. In this situation, the Constitution states that the future vice president, Kamala Karris, who will also be the president of the Senate, will have the decisive vote to tip the scales towards her party. A minimal difference, but enough.

The summary of the importance of winning Georgia and having a majority in the Senate was given by Barack Obama himself a few days ago: “This is not just about Georgia. It’s about the United States and about the world.”

“[La derrota en Georgia] it is an epic disaster for the Republican Party with incalculable damage“, Noted Matt Mackowiak, party president in Travis County Texas, who has not hesitated to criticize Trump for ballasting his organization with his speech.

What is at stake

With Joe Biden as head of the White House and his party controlling both houses, the president will be able to avoid obstructionism – a practice widely used by Republicans – and get his plans to move forward more easily, especially on issues such as the budget, economic stimuli, tax increases or the fight against climate change. Likewise, their candidates to join the Cabinet would be confirmed without inconvenience.

“Having control of both houses makes it much more possible for Biden to pass laws. And control of the Senate is important because here the president’s nominees in the cabinet are confirmed.“Joel Goldstein, Professor Emeritus of Saint Louis University School of Law in Missouri, points out in this Journal.

“It’s about who sets the agenda, decides what is discussed, what is voted on and what is discarded”, Academic Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute told the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

As The New York Times points out, much of the economic agenda that Biden proposed during the campaign is now at stake. Although Biden defines himself as a moderate, centrist Democrat, his economic plan is considered progressive, as it includes expanding Medicare health insurance, creating more manufacturing jobs, and promoting clean energy, as well as raising taxes on richer. Many of these policies, as well as measures to accelerate a mass vaccination program and increase economic stimulus, may be included in a budget bill this year. Likewise, with Democrats controlling both houses, the long-awaited immigration reform could be achieved.

However, this would not mean a carte blanche for Democrats as having a minimum majority in the Senate will also have to negotiate with Republicans on other issues where a greater difference in votes is needed.

How is the Republican Party?

After what happened last Wednesday, in which a proTrump mob stormed the Capitol, fueled by the same president, moments before Congress confirmed Joe Biden as the next president of the United States, tabs in the Republican Party have varied.

On that day, a hundred Republican congressmen and 13 senators had planned not to ratify Biden and to object to the votes of the Electoral College, in order to delay the nomination, satisfy Trump and, above all, his electoral base.

But when the most violent faction of this electoral base attacked the Capitol, many of these congressmen decided to back down. However, these lawmakers will continue to be a rabid opposition force that can complicate Biden.

“Biden is going to try to persuade the most reasonable or pragmatic Republicans to distance themselves from Trump. During his years in Congress, Biden has always been a conciliator and has been able to negotiate with Republicans.” points out to El Comerç the political scientist Cynthia Sanborn, former vice-chancellor of the University of the Pacific and current professor of Political Science. “Although he will have a majority in Congress, he will also have an aggressive opposition. That is why he must try to persuade this more reasonable group.”

Meanwhile, Republicans will have to reconfigure their forces for the next legislative election. “The party that does not hold the presidency generally wins seats in the House of Representatives during the years they do not govern, so Republicans could win more seats in the lower house in 2022. Also, Democrats did not. but on the other hand, there are several factors that are against Republicans, as young and non-white voters tend to favor Democrats, and women are moving away from the Republican Party “, explains Goldstein.

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