WASHINGTON – It was a remarkable 2024 election for Republicans, who, together with newly elected President Donald Trump, retook the White House, flipped the Senate and were on the verge of retaining their majority in the House of Representatives.
So what can Ohio voters expect from unified Republican control of all three centers of power?
From quick appointments of Trump’s Cabinet picks to major policy changes, Republicans in Congress are likely to use their power to advance Trump’s priorities and are likely to face few roadblocks from the Democratic minority.
“This historic election has proven that a majority of Americans desire secure borders, lower costs, peace through strength and a return to common sense,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement Wednesday, even as The House of Representatives has not yet convened, as Republicans and Democrats insist it is still ongoing.
There are also no guarantees.
Trump’s relations with his own party in the Senate have long been volatile, and the House’s rules provide an opportunity for the minority party to slow down or even kill bills that don’t achieve some degree of bipartisanship. In the House of Representatives, the Republican Party’s internal battles over the past two years have hampered action over an extremely narrow majority that Republicans hope to expand as the final dozen races are called.
Big things can happen when one party leads Washington.
The last time Republicans held a trifecta in DC was in 2017 and 2018 during Trump’s first term, when he signed dozens of bills into law, including a $1.5 trillion tax cut. Democrats held a trifecta in 2021 and 2022 under President Joe Biden, which helped lead to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. Then-President Barack Obama held all the power in 2009 and 2010 and passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a major overhaul of the American financial sector, and the Affordable Care Act.
This is what could happen under the total control of the Republican Party in Washington.
Easier cabinet fixings
Republicans have regained control of the Senate, which is responsible for confirming a president’s Cabinet and judicial nominees, including filling any Supreme Court vacancies.
Cabinet confirmation hearings can be intense and lengthy if a candidate is controversial. In some rare cases, the president withdraws his nominee if it becomes clear that he will not receive enough support to be confirmed.
For example, Trump withdrew the nomination for Patrick Shanahan as Secretary of Defense amid domestic violence allegations and withdrew the nomination for current Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, will become secretary of Veterans Affairs amid concerns that he doesn’t have enough management experience. Biden withdrew his nomination of Neera Tanden to head the Office of Management and Budget over concerns she was too partisan.
But most Cabinet nominations succeed when the White House and Senate are controlled by the same party — especially since Democrats have rolled back the filibuster so a president’s picks can be approved by a simple majority. Historically, an incoming president has also been given some leeway in putting forward his first choices for filling his administration after elections, especially when the Senate is controlled by the same party.
So Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services? Utah Senator Mike Lee for US Attorney General? Larry Kudlow as Treasury Secretary? These are all real possibilities with a Republican Party-led Senate.
GOP policies are winning
In addition to Trump’s policy priorities, such as curbing immigration and rolling back regulations on everything from housing to energy production, there are several battles ahead that Congress would need to tackle regardless of which presidential candidate takes the helm next year takes over.
Several provisions of the $1.5 trillion Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 — one of the biggest legislative achievements of the first Trump administration — are set to expire in 2025. It opens an opportunity for Washington to reshape national tax policy.
Expect Republican priorities to be the starting point for these negotiations, including Trump’s promises to eliminate taxes on tips, exempt overtime from income taxes and expand tax brackets in the 2017 law.
Congress will also have to fund the government, which will likely reflect Republican Party priorities, such as cutting funding for federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs and cutting budgets for agencies like the Department of Education.
Another big debate for Congress and the new Trump administration is whether to raise the debt ceiling, which will be reinstated early next year, before the government runs out of money and may default on its debts.
A test of great promises
Throughout this election cycle, Republicans have pledged that they would not pass a federal abortion ban. Democrats have insisted they do so.
Now Republicans will likely be tested: With total control of the House of Representatives, the Senate and the White House, could they still resist calls from evangelical Christian members of their base for federal restrictions? to implement?
The American public remains largely opposed to a federal abortion ban, including about two-thirds of Republicans.
Democrats have claimed that Republicans plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which is now widely popular. Republicans have said they have no intention of repealing the law and that they would only change the ACA if they could improve it to reduce costs and improve coverage.
Republicans have also pledged not to touch the Senate’s filibuster rule, which creates a 60-vote threshold that typically requires the majority party to convince at least a handful of minority parties to join them to pass major legislation.
“One of the most satisfying results of the Senate turning Republican — the filibuster will last,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters on Wednesday. The leading candidates to succeed McConnell have also said they support keeping the filibuster.
Republicans will now be challenged to keep that promise, especially if Democrats agree on their priorities.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Votes give Republicans full control of government: What to expect
