GOP confident it will keep House majority as Dems insist they still have a path

WASHINGTON (TNND) — The balance of power in Congress will determine what President-elect Donald Trump is able to accomplish in his upcoming second term.

Republicans will take the majority in the Senate but the House is still up in the air, with some close races still being counted. Despite this, Republicans will have the upper hand in the federal government starting in 2025.

“America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate," Trump said in his victory speech.

Republicans took back the majority in the Senate after flipping seats in Ohio, Montana and West Virginia. They’ll have at least a three-seat majority, compared to the current Senate Democrats’ one-seat majority.

“I think we did pretty well with narrow majorities during the previous administration, three new Supreme Court justices, 54 new circuit judges," Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said.

Soon, Senate Republicans will have to choose their new leader as current minority leader McConnell steps down from his leadership position.

Over in the house, there will likely either be Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., or Speaker Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. In total, 218 seats are needed for a House majority and we may not learn which party crosses that threshold until next week.

"Both sides believe that whatever happens with the majority in the next congress, that democrats will be no shorter than 212 to 214 votes and we still have a clear pathway to taking back the majority," current Minority Leader Jeffries said.

“President Trump wants to be aggressive. He wants to go big and we’re excited about that. We’re gonna get to play offense because I’m absolutely convinced we’re gonna have the white house, the Senate and the House. I think we will deliver that majority," House Speaker Johnson said.

Republicans are bullish on their ability to immediately tackle issues they believe got them elected, like immigration and the economy.

But in the Senate, Republicans won’t have a big enough majority to do most things without Democratic support, so they’ll be forced to compromise. And if Democrats take the House, Trump’s agenda will face even bigger barriers.