Republicans won control of the U.S. House on Wednesday, returning the party to power in Washington days after polling in midterm elections closed on November 3.
Republicans picked up at least 218 seats and will take over the chamber next year, setting the stage for a new era of divided government in Washington. A Republican House will likely clash on most issues with a Democratic Senate in 2023.
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy celebrated his party having “officially flipped” the House writing on Twitter that “Americans are ready for a new direction, and House Republicans are ready to deliver.”
McCarthy, who won the nomination for House speaker on Tuesday, with a formal vote to come when the new Congress convenes in January. “I’m proud to announce the era of one-party Democrat rule in Washington is over,” he said.
President Biden congratulated McCarthy, saying he is “ready to work with House Republicans to deliver results for working families.”
“Last week’s elections demonstrated the strength and resilience of American democracy. There was a strong rejection of election deniers, political violence, and intimidation,” Biden said in a statement. “There was an emphatic statement that, in America, the will of the people prevails.”
Current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released a statement Wednesday night saying, “In the next Congress, House Democrats will continue to play a leading role in supporting President Biden’s agenda — with strong leverage over a scant Republican majority.”
