04/11/26
Trump to face new limits after midterms blowout
Washington, 4 November (Argus) — Democratic congressional leaders are promising
to use their victories in the midterm elections on Tuesday to seek new
restraints against President Donald Trump, while leaving an opening for
legislative deals that would lower consumer prices for energy and other goods.
Democrats on Capitol Hill have felt largely powerless for nearly two years as
Trump and his administration unilaterally cut staffing at federal agencies,
launched military strikes and stymied the development of clean energy projects.
Democratic leaders say those dynamics will change with their midterm wins, as
they try to bring the kind of accountability they say has been nearly
nonexistent under the Republican-led Congress. "Whenever Trump defies the will
of the American people or the law, we will launch investigations, take him to
court, and entangle him in legislative razor wire," Senate minority leader Chuck
Schumer (D-New York) said on Wednesday. Democrats are on track to hold at least
a four-seat majority in the Senate and a 39-seat majority in the House, although
their final tallies may be even larger as more races are called. The party was
able to leverage voter anger over the Iran war and inflation to achieve wins in
Republican-led states such as Texas, Iowa, South Carolina, Kansas and Ohio.
Democrats say although they will look into concerns about corruption and
executive overreach, they intend to use their new powers to focus on
affordability. "The American people don't want us to get even," said House
minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York), who almost certainly will become
the next House speaker. "They want us to get things done on their behalf because
life is way too expensive." Newly elected Democrats say they want to look at
areas of compromise that could give relief to consumers struggling with high
fuel prices. US senator-elect James Talarico (D-Texas) said he supported Trump's
proposal to suspend federal excise taxes on gasoline and diesel. "If we suspend
the federal gas tax, we could drop the price of gas by 18¢/USG immediately,"
Talarico told Fox News on Wednesday. The most immediate outcome from the
midterms could be felt when the Senate reconvenes next week to vote on whether
to advance the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA), a bill
that aims to speed permitting for oil and gas, renewables and electric
transmission. The Democratic outperformance is likely to "embolden" those who
believe the bill gives too many concessions to oil and gas, investment bank TD
Cowen said in a note to clients that cut the odds of the bill passing to 25pc,
down from 40pc. Political analysts shared that sentiment. "It's an uphill road
at this point, given the fact that there's the possibility of just getting a
better deal in January," law firm Bracewell attorney Joseph Brazauskas said on
Wednesday. Even if BAAJA clears the Senate, it still must pass the House, where
Republicans have a narrow majority. Far-right Republicans want to use the lame
duck session to "lock in" conservative wins and stop "the Green New Scam", House
Freedom Caucus chairman Andy Harris (R-Maryland) said. Meanwhile, US
representative Jared Huffman (D-California), who is likely to lead the House
Natural Resources Committee next year, said there should be a hearing before
"jamming through a deeply flawed" permitting bill. Democrats will only have so
much power to constrain Trump, whose aggressive claims of executive power have
found a receptive audience in the US Supreme Court, where conservatives hold a
6-3 majority. Even though Democrats could rein in the administration using
spending bills, they still need Republican support on those bills to prevent a
filibuster in the Senate. Trump could also block any bills that he believes are
too restrictive, which would create the risk of a government shutdown. "l'll get
along probably with the Democrats, unless they want to be destructive, but I
have the power of the veto if we don't like what they're doing," Trump told
reporters on Wednesday. Democrats next year will gain broad powers to launch
investigations into the administration, including the ability to subpoena
federal agencies and require administration officials to testify. Democrats are
likely to push for details on foreign investment deals that Trump has
negotiated, along with agreements related to the sale of Venezuelan crude and
leasing rights. Senators have sought answers on hundreds of millions of dollars
in tax savings the administration has given to LNG companies. "Subpoenas,"
Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) said in a social
media post on Tuesday as the Democratic victory became clear. Republicans are
blaming the crushing midterm losses partly on the war in Iran, which angered
voters who trusted Trump's anti-war campaign promises and ended up paying more
for gasoline, diesel and fertilizer. US vice president JD Vance, who is
considering a presidential run in 2028, said Republicans lost because of the
war. "If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the
next six years was worth it, then do so," Vance wrote on social media. Trump
said that explanation for Republican losses was "largely true" because the war
drove up gasoline prices, but he defended the decision to go to war. "If I had
it to do again, I'd have to do it again because long-term it's the only answer,"
Trump said. "You can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon." By Chris Knight Send
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