Donald Trump, Republicans clinch final election win, holding narrow US House majority as country shifts right

Susan Heavey
Reuters
US President-elect Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans will control both the White House and both chambers of Congress starting in January.
US President-elect Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans will control both the White House and both chambers of Congress starting in January. Credit: AP/Supplied

Republicans in the US House of Representatives will hold a slim 220-215 majority when the next Congress gets under way after Democrats picked up a seat in California.

US President-elect Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans will control both the White House and both chambers of Congress starting in January, following a rightward shift in the country in November’s election and Democrats’ loss of both the White House and the Senate, according to Edison Research on Wednesday.

Republicans, who already control the House, will see their majority narrow further at least for some time when the new Congress convenes in January to 217-215 after Trump chose two members for top positions in his administration.

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Trump tapped two Florida Republicans — US Representatives Mike Waltz as his national security adviser and Matt Gaetz for US attorney general — although Gaetz later withdrew from consideration.

Democratic US Representative Elissa Slotkin will also leave the House for her new seat representing Michigan in the US Senate.

Fellow Democrat Adam Gray won his bid to represent California’s 13th Congressional District in what was the last US House race to be decided from the November 5 election, according to Edison Research.

Republicans this week laid out plans to push ahead with Trump’s agenda as soon as they take office.

Trump laid out a broad agenda during the campaign, including sweeping new tariffs, mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, energy sector deregulation and extending tax cuts enacted during his first term that are due to expire next year.

Congressional Republican leaders said they may start with border security, energy and defence before turning to tax cuts.

Lawmakers must also contend with funding the federal government.

On Tuesday, US House Speaker Mike Johnson said he believes the current Congress will pursue a continuing resolution, or CR, to fund federal agencies into March. On Wednesday, he separately said he does not believe the US debt ceiling will come due until this summer, Punchbowl reported.

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