A Divided Government: GOP Retakes the House by Slim Margin
It’s finally official, the GOP garnered the 218 seats needed to control the House, ushering in an era of divided government and a check on the Biden administration agenda. Most look for Biden to increase his use of executive orders and regulations to fulfill some other goals.
The End of an Era
It was ironic that it took several GOP House races in liberal California to get the Republicans to 218 votes. Six more House races need to be called so the GOP majority number could rise by a few seats.
“The era of one-party Democrat rule in Washington is over,” Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House Republican leader from California, said this week on Capitol Hill, as his Republican colleagues nominated him to serve as House speaker. “Washington now has a check and balance.”
The majority will hand Republicans control of committees with subpoena authority, allowing them to make good on campaign pledges to investigate Biden’s administration and family, as well as social-media companies that conservatives claim are biased against them.
President Biden Commented on the GOP win in the House
“I congratulate Leader McCarthy on Republicans winning the House majority, and am ready to work with House Republicans to deliver results for working families,” Mr. Biden said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that “the future is too promising to be trapped in political warfare.”
But the president also recognized the surprising strength of the Democratic showing, and the defeat of a series of far-right Republicans who had refused to recognize the legitimacy of the last election.
“There was a strong rejection of election deniers, political violence and intimidation,” he said.
With the majority transition now set in stone, a timeline for any new farm bill in 2023 largely rests with the House.
Farm Bill 2023 Outlook Shifts
The Senate Ag Committee will be led by current Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) who is a veteran of getting farm bills over the finish line, and top her liking. In the House, likely new Ag panel leader is Rep. G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.), who will have a governing party that just garnered control.
The GOP caucus contains more than a few conservative activists who have made prior farm bills difficult to be completed. While some will not say it publicly, veteran farm bill watchers believe the House will run out of time in 2023 because of the need for hearings and to gear up new members and their staffs on the complexities of farm policy.
Thompson has made it clear he wants a bill in 2023 and wants the House to consider it by the August congressional recess. Look for Thompson to push early action via hearings and others matters early in 2023.
More on elections:
Impact of the Elections on Farm Bill 2023
Ballot Counts Continue as Some Republicans Suggest a Break From Trump
'Red Wave' of Voters Did Not Happen: Why Were Poll Predictions So Far Off the Mark?
