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When Democrats took power of the House successful 2019, they started a flurry of investigations into President Donald Trump's administration. Republicans could bash the aforesaid to Biden.
The midterm elections volition find power of Congress and with it the destiny of President Joe Biden’s agenda.
Democrats are improbable to clasp power of some the House and Senate, analysts and experts project. With Republicans well-positioned to instrumentality power of astatine slightest the House, Biden is apt to look roadblocks arsenic helium finishes the past 2 years of his term.
The grade to which Republicans tin stall Biden’s docket depends connected their margins of triumph aft Tuesday's elections. Here's what could hap if the GOP wrests backmost astatine slightest immoderate power of Washington.
A GOP House would unfastened caller investigations – a batch of them
When Democrats took power of the House arsenic portion of the 2018 bluish wave, they started a flurry of investigations into then-President Donald Trump’s medication and his concern dealings, including probes of his taxation returns and later, the relation he played successful the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
Republicans person been itching to bash the same. If they get power of the House adjacent year, expect a batch of investigations into Biden's programs and his lad Hunter Biden’s fiscal dealings.
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Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the apical Republican connected the House Oversight Committee, is expected to seat the astir almighty investigative sheet successful the chamber. Comer has vowed to aggressively analyse Hunter Biden’s fiscal dealings and compliance with taxation laws. Republicans person questioned whether Hunter Biden has compromised the presidency and nationalist information done his concern dealings successful China and Ukraine.
"The crushed we are investigating Hunter Biden is due to the fact that we judge helium is simply a nationalist information threat. But we are besides acrophobic that Hunter's shady concern dealings person compromised Joe Biden," Comer told Fox News successful October.
A GOP bulk could also open investigations into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Department of Justice.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, positioned to go talker of the House should the GOP instrumentality the chamber, has vowed to instantly unfastened an inquiry into the FBI's hunt of erstwhile President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.
"When Republicans instrumentality backmost the House, we volition behaviour contiguous oversight of this department, travel the facts and permission nary chromatic unturned," McCarthy said.
A bigger level for ultraconservatives
If McCarthy becomes speaker, helium could person to clasp unneurotic a perchance unwieldy majority, some of whose members are demanding an assertive accounting of the Biden administration. Depending connected however slim a GOP bulk is, the House Freedom Caucus, which includes immoderate of the House's astir conservative lawmakers, could grow its influence.
The caucus, made up of immoderate 30 members, has truthful acold remained neutral successful enactment elections while cognizant of the power it wields.
“If you’ve got 30 votes successful a constrictive majority, you tin beryllium influential.” Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., a and subordinate of the Freedom Caucus, told Axios.
The Freedom Caucus has had a manus successful enactment changes before. Then-House Speaker John Boehner was forced to resign successful 2015 successful portion due to the fact that of the caucus' absorption to him.
While McCarthy is apt to look nary existent absorption successful a bid for talker – successful portion due to the fact that nary rival has emerged – he would person to locomotion a tightrope betwixt moving authorities and tempering hard-right Republicans.
Threat of impeachment looms
Some House Republicans person been clamoring to impeach Biden if the GOP takes power of the House. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., 1 of the Republican Conference’s most fiercely outspoken members, has introduced articles of impeachment against Biden aggregate times.
However, McCarthy has tried to temper conversations surrounding impeachment, telling reporters, “We volition not play authorities with it."
House Republicans are being cautious with impeachment. Such a determination would garner precocious media attraction and could backfire if voters disapprove. Several of them were successful bureau during the 1990s, erstwhile the GOP impeachment of Bill Clinton led to the nonaccomplishment of immoderate GOP legislature seats and boosted the president's popularity.
Even if Biden were impeached, the Senate would clasp a proceedings that would require a two-thirds bulk to convict Biden, a near-impossible task.
Another imaginable impeachment people would beryllium 2 of Biden's Cabinet members: Attorney General Merrick Garland, for the Justice Department's probe into Trump's handling of classified documents; and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, for the administration's handling of the record migrant surge connected the Southern border.
Aid to Ukraine could slow
Should the GOP instrumentality the House, continued U.S. assistance to Ukraine arsenic it fends disconnected a Russian penetration is up successful the air. McCarthy told Punchbowl News that a Republican House won’t constitute a “blank check” to Ukraine, suggesting that Republicans would bounds oregon halt backing to Ukraine.
Republicans person been divided implicit approving much assistance to Ukraine. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has pushed the White House to expedite the shipment of subject weapons. McCarthy and different Republicans person expressed skepticism implicit continued aid, citing the nationalist indebtedness arsenic a crushed to bounds funding.
What authorities tin pass?
If the GOP takes backmost the Senate, McConnell would reclaim his station arsenic Senate bulk leader, allowing him to acceptable the chamber's agenda.
McConnell during his erstwhile tenure arsenic bulk person was criticized by opponents arsenic an obstructionist. The self-proclaimed “grim reaper” of the Senate has already said helium is “100%” focused connected stopping Biden’s agenda.
Any Democratic authorities that arrives successful the Senate would person to spell done McConnell, who has successful the past near plentifulness of Democratic House bills successful legislative limbo.
If the GOP takes the House, expect a Republican bulk to propulsion done authorities with accepted blimpish points: taxation cuts and a simplification successful authorities spending.
A House Republican docket revealed successful September titled a "Commitment to America" outlined assorted legislative goals for a GOP bulk that besides include increased fossil-fuel production. But with Biden inactive successful the White House, the GOP would person to contend with his veto pen.
Biden's power connected the judiciary could wane
Biden has nominated and seen much national judges confirmed than immoderate different president astatine this constituent successful his word since John F. Kennedy. But if the GOP picks up the Senate, his power connected the judiciary could travel to a halt.
McConnell is well-known for blocking President Barack Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Garland. When Garland was nominated, McConnell refused to person the enclosure instrumentality up a confirmation ballot for much than 11 months, letting Garland’s information expire. Ultimately, Trump was capable to capable the spot with blimpish Neil Gorsuch.
And should a Supreme Court vacancy unfastened up, Democrats worry McConnell could clasp a Biden nominee indefinitely with the hopes of a Republican taking the Oval Office successful 2025 and nominating a blimpish judge.
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