Republicans keep control of US House, giving Trump’s agenda a smoother path

The Republican Party is projected to retain a majority in the US House of Representatives, giving it control of Congress for the next two years and paving the way for President-elect Donald Trump to advance his agenda.

A Republican majority in the Senate was clear soon after results started pouring in on Election Day, but many US research firms and outlets waited until Wednesday to call control of the House. CNN, Edison Research, and NBC projected on Wednesday that Republicans had secured the 218 seats needed for a majority in the chamber. Data provider Decision Desk HQ projected the same on Monday.

Vote-counting in tight races in multiple states including Arizona and California had prevented an earlier call.

The final seat tally for each party is still unclear, with several races still too close to call. Going into Election Day, the Republicans had a 220-212 edge over the Democrats.

Republicans had won at least 52 seats in the 100-seat Senate, as of Wednesday.

Control of the House, the lower chamber, gives a party the power to initiate spending legislation and launch investigations and impeachment proceedings against government officials. The Senate has exclusive authority to confirm presidential nominations and ratify treaties.

Even before control of the chamber was confirmed, House Speaker Mike Johnson said that congressional Republicans were planning an “ambitious” 100-day agenda with Trump, who he said was “thinking big” about his legacy. Johnson reportedly won an endorsement from Trump on Wednesday to continue his role as House Speaker.