Republicans gained control of the US Senate thanks to victories in the states of West Virginia and Ohio. Yes, the Republican Party will control at least one house of the US Congress next year. Meanwhile, Republicans also currently hold a majority in the House of Representatives.
This is reported by Reuters.
In the Senate, the score is now 51 to 42 in favour of the Republicans. They also have an advantage over Democrats in the House of Representatives — 189 to 165. Counting of votes is still ongoing.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, is likely to get the Senate seat instead of a Democrat. Republican Bernie Moreno will become a senator in Ohio.
The two victories gave Republicans at least a 51-49 majority in the Senate.
The publication also notes that the advantage the Republicans now have in the House of Representatives could mean 220 to 212 in favour of the Republican Party in the future.
Reuters writes that Republicans won a Democratic-controlled district in swing Pennsylvania and took seats from Democrats in another swing-state of North Carolina.
At the same time, Democrats won a Republican-held seat in Alabama in upstate New York.
Republicans have a chance to extend their lead over Democrats in the Senate if they win in Montana, a traditionally Republican state. At the same time, Reuters notes that the Republican Party is unlikely to get the 60 votes in the Senate necessary to advance most laws in the chamber.
Democrats now need to pick up at least six seats to gain control of the 435-seat House.
What does this mean for Ukraine?
Currently, under the presidency of Democrat Joe Biden, Democrats hold the majority in the Senate and Republicans hold the majority in the House of Representatives.
At the end of 2023, the House of Representatives, where the Republicans had a majority, blocked a package of military aid to Ukraine of almost $61 billion. The decision was made only in April 2024 — such a delay had a negative impact on the situation in Ukraine, particularly on the front, because US military aid ran out at the end of 2023.
Aid to Ukraine in the USA is approved in several stages. Both houses of the US Congress must approve the legislation before President Joe Biden can sign it into law.
Elections to the US Congress
This year, 34 out of 100 senators and all 435 legislators in the US House of Representatives will be up for re-election. In total, 2,710 candidates are running for the House of Representatives, 69 for the Senate.
Members of the House of Representatives are elected for two years. Most senators are elected by six. At the same time, a third of the senators are re-elected after two years. In the Senate elections, two senators are elected from each state.
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