Trump will have a GOP Senate and House as president — what unified government means for his Cabinet and agenda | Global News Avenue

Washington — when When President-elect Donald Trump returns to office next year with Republican majorities in the House and Senate, he will enjoy a unified government that is expected to pave the way for his agenda, Cabinet and other nominees.

But even with unified party control of the government, approving the president’s agenda won’t be easy — and opposition from members of the president’s own party is to be expected, especially given the razor-thin majority.

Here’s what to know about unifying government during Trump’s second term:

Republican-led House and Senate

Republicans have slim majorities in both houses of Congress in the 2024 elections, with at least 52 seats in the Senate and at least 218 seats in the House of Representatives. But as Trump selects Republican members of Congress for senior executive positions, both gaps are extremely narrow and may even shrink temporarily. Still, he and his allies are optimistic about the mandate Republicans gain from their election victory and have pledged to move quickly toward his agenda.

“The only way we can move forward quickly is if, starting in January, we have unified control of Congress — now the House and Senate and the White House,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday. He celebrated Republicans. A decisive victory nationwide.”

Trump secured majorities in both chambers in his first term and gained a larger majority in the House eight years ago, becoming only the second person since President Dwight D. Eisenhower to enjoy three consecutive victories since taking office. Republican president. But Republicans acknowledged they squandered opportunities early in his first term and vowed to move faster this time.

“Looking back, we all recognize that Republicans were not fully prepared for that moment and that Congress wasted precious time when it began,” Johnson said. “We will not make these mistakes again; we will be ready on day one.” ”

In the upper room, Senator John Thunethis week was elected as majority leader The Republican victory was celebrated in the next Congress after 17 years with Senator Mitch McConnell at the helm.

“Now the real work begins – delivering on our agenda,” Thune said.

Implementing Trump’s agenda

One of Trump’s top promises during the campaign was border security. He promised to close the borders and carry out mass deportations on day one.

Johnson and Thune also said border security is a top priority. Earlier this year, a bipartisan group of senators negotiated the strictest rules immigration legislation But Senate Republicans eventually killed the plan at Trump’s urging.

The Republican-led border security package next year, if implemented, is expected to advance further and may face resistance from Democrats and even some in Trump’s own party.

Republicans are also eager to enact new economic policies, including extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts that are set to expire in 2025, as well as policies aimed at restoring U.S. energy dominance and reducing wasteful government spending.

With slim majorities in both the House and Senate, Trump’s key legislative priorities may still face obstacles. Indiana Sen. Todd Young, one of the few Senate Republicans who has reliably broken with Trump in the past, outlined to CBS News that 60 votes would be needed to end the Senate presidential election. On most legislation debated, “the Trump administration, by definition, needs Democratic votes to do big things.”

“I have been very good at working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle in recent years,” Yang said, adding that he hoped he could “help President Trump advance his agenda.”

For the Senate, the first priority will be to approve Trump’s nomination.

Confirming Trump Cabinet nominees

some of trump Cabinet selection It sent shockwaves across the political spectrum, raising questions among some Republican senators about whether some of the controversial nominees would survive Senate confirmation.

While some picks were expected, others surprised even Republicans. Number one in this category is Trump Attorney General’s ChoiceFormer Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican firebrand who investigation Under scrutiny by the House Ethics Committee over allegations of sexual misconduct and obstruction of justice.

Thune said the Senate’s first priority at the start of the year will be confirming Trump’s nominees and promised to oversee a rigorous schedule before the nominees are confirmed.

Trump, meanwhile, has said he hopes to effectively bypass the Senate confirmation process by confirming his final nominee through a recess appointment, a strategy that hasn’t been used in a decade. Top Republican senators, including Thune, said they would work to quickly process Trump’s nominees while keeping an open mind on recess nominations.

Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn lost the party leadership race to Thune. He told reporters Thursday that the president’s power to recess appointments and the Senate’s responsibility for advice and consent are both constitutional.

“The question is, how do you reconcile the two,” Cornyn said.

“I think we all want the president to succeed, and I agree he has a mandate here,” Cornyn also said. “But we also have work to do.”

first 100 days

Historically, the first 100 days of a presidential term are a measure of a new leader’s ability to govern. Elaine Carmack, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, calls this approach a “myth.”

“It became a myth because of Franklin Roosevelt,” she said. “That’s why it never happened again.”

Roosevelt quickly swore in his entire cabinet early in his term, passed a host of key legislation, won supermajorities in both chambers of Congress, and boasted a massive Electoral College system and a popular vote victory. Carmack added that unified control gave Roosevelt “a hundred wonderful days.”

Since then, the first 100 days in office have become the first benchmark to judge a president’s effectiveness: Is the cabinet appointed and confirmed by the Senate? What signature legislation has been enacted? Trump’s first 100 days in office were filled with a flurry of executive orders, a confusing and lengthy Cabinet confirmation process and setbacks on his promises to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and repeal the Affordable Care Act. .

Things are different as Trump prepares for a second term with a more united party, stronger relationships with lawmakers and a better grasp of government operations than when he first took office in 2017.

Trump spoke to the House Republican conference on Wednesday, expressing excitement about the party’s collective victory.

“Wouldn’t it be great to win?” Trump said. “It’s great to win.”