The Republican Party topped the 118-mark in the House of Representatives as late results began to dribble into the electronic counting vaults. They managed an electoral trifecta: control both chambers of Congress and the White House.
While the counting of votes in the November 5 election continues and the official declaration of results for all the seats is weeks away, three television channels declared on their analysis that the party had crossed the halfway mark in the 435-member House.
Six results are pending and CBS said the party could gain at least three more of them, keeping the current tally of 221.
Earlier, the Republicans have been declared by media as successful in wrestling the Senate away from Democrats by winning 52 seats with one pending result from Pennsylvania where the party candidate is ahead.
And, Donald Trump won the presidential election by getting 312 out of a possible 538 Electoral College votes and having a majority of popular votes.
This will give Trump an edge to move through the legislation and the budget since both Chambers of Congress are under his control, although a slender lead in the House may halt them sometimes.
Currently, in the House, Republicans held a majority with 213 seats, meaning the leaders could barely get all of them to vote with them.
In fact, Speaker Mike Johnson won the position and kept it with the help of Democrats when radicals in his party attempted to stage a coup against him in May. But on Wednesday in a sign of discipline following Trump's election, Republican House members voted to keep him on as Speaker and he is assured of it when the new House meets next year.
Trump indicated his support for Johnson when he attended the party's House candidate forum of the re-elected and newly-elected members where he said, "Mike Johnson, tremendous guy, I'm with him all the way".
This leadership hits the ground running to deliver President Trump's agenda in the 119th Congress, and we will work closely with him and his administration to turn this country around and unleash, as he says, a new golden age in America".
As for the Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell retired and was replaced by re-elected and newly elected senators who elected John Thune as his successor.
Trump said on Truth Social, "He moves quickly and will do an outstanding job. Look forward to working with him" and other party leaders in the Senate.
The Senate has to approve key appointments, which encompass most of the cabinet posts.
Trump is trying to bypass this by arguing he should be allowed to make appointments while the Senate is in recess and unable to conduct hearings or confirmation votes.
He said the incoming Senate majority leader should agree to it. Thune, however, persisted with his stand that "the Senate has an advise and consent rule in the Constitution," but also added that confirmations must be done expeditiously and "how that happens remains to be seen."
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