Democrats are hoping to flip the majority in Congress on November 3, boosted in part by US PresidentDonald Trump’s low approval rating, concerns over the cost of living and the war with Iran. A win in either the House of Representatives or Senate would allow Democrats to rein in Trump for the remainder of his term, given that the US Constitution grants the legislature certain powers to keep the executive branch in check. What could change if Democrats take power in the House of Representatives Taking control of the lower house would give Democrats several tools to fight Trump, as it controls budgetary initiatives and Congress’s primary investigative body, the House Committee on oversight.Legislation to increase tax revenue also starts in the House of Representatives.
With a majority, Democrats would assume the chairmanships of all congressional committees, which oversee the drafting of legislation for their respective jurisdictions– notably the influential agriculture and armed services committees. Chairmen also have the unilateral power to launch investigations and subpoena witnesses, powers the Democrats could use to compel government officials, political allies or Trump associates, to testify under oath and provide executive branch documents. Members of the party have signalled their intention to use this power to investigate companies believed to have profited from the Trump administration, such as AI firms and the tech executives who run them.
Read moreDoes White House ask AI to shape policy? Democrats want the receipts House Democrats would also have the power to draft and vote on articles of impeachment against the president and his administration. The effect of such a move could be limited, however.
Trump became the only US president to be impeached twice – for abuse of power and inciting an insurrection, among other charges – during his first term, but he was later acquitted by the Senate. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has instead signalled he would seek to beginproceedings against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The 46-year-old is already facing articles of impeachment over his management of the Iran war and the Pentagon.
Democrats would also exert more control over the purse strings of the US budget, since all tax revenue bills originate in the House of Representatives. The party would thus be in a better position to pressure Republicans, even if it meant threatening a government shutdown. The Speaker of the House also has the power to kill Republican bills while they are still in the House.
The lawmaker in the role decides which bills get a vote – and has the power to delay Republican-backed legislation indefinitely. Read more'Atmosphere of fear': Trump moves to curtail voting rights ahead of the midterms Two Senators from each state serve in the upper house regardless of size or population: California, with more than39 million residents, has the same number of Senators as Wyoming, with just over half a million inhabitants. Controlling the Senate would give Democrats power over the confirmation process, a key check on the president’s power to appoint high-ranking executive branch officials, including Supreme Court justices, Cabinet members, and heads of federal agencies such as the FBI, the CIA and ICE.
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