Experts: Few Agreements Likely from Divided US Congress

Experts: Few Agreements Likely from Divided US Congress

The 118th United States Congress will be closely divided between the Republican and Democratic Parties. The Republicans won control of the House of Representatives in the November 8 elections. Democrats¹ added to their majority in the Senate.

Final results of several races remain in question. But, those results will not change the political representation by much. The majorities in both houses will be small.

Some political experts think a closely divided Congress will not be able to agree on many issues. The U.S. Congress has been closely divided for several years.

VOA spoke² to David King, a politics and public policy expert at Harvard University. When asked what the American public should expect from the new Congress, King answered: "More of the same."

King said most of the power in Congress is controlled by a small number of people at the top.

"The power in Congress will be held in the hands of a few leaders. Most of the members of Congress will stick very close to their party, because neither one can afford to lose a couple of key votes," he said.

King says Congress is likely to pass only budget-related bills that pay for the most basic government operations. He added that members of Congress will already be acting³ in consideration of possible results of the 2024 presidential election.

However, some experts are more hopeful. G. William Hoagland is a vice⁴ president at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington. He told VOA that congressional leaders might find issues on which they can work together.

He said, "I think it's possible that there could still be some successful legislative⁵ achievement."

Hoagland noted⁶ immigration as one such issue. Republicans want increased border security. Democrats want a path to legal standing⁷ for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. It might be possible, Hoagland said, for new legislation aimed at reaching both goals.

The newly-divided Congress might make it more difficult for President Biden to get his policies made into law. Biden may narrow his aims as a result, Hoagland suggested. He said the president could center his efforts on supporting the operation of major acts already passed. These include the Inflation Reduction Act, with its huge investments in the fight against climate change, and the Infrastructure⁸ Investment and Jobs Act.

Democrats had controlled both houses of Congress before November's elections.

King, of Harvard University, said that Biden might look more to international issues if progress at home becomes difficult.

Leadership positions

In the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is expected to keep his position. On Wednesday, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell fought off a challenge by Senator Rick Scott and was reelected to his position.

Leadership of the House is less certain. Republican Kevin McCarthy won his party's nomination⁹ to be Speaker. However, without support of more conservative Republicans, he might not be able to win the position.

Current Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, has announced that she will not seek any leadership position when the new congress takes office in January.

Investigations¹⁰ expected

All the experts VOA spoke with agreed that new and strong investigations into the Biden administration and into the president's family will take place in the House. Republicans have promised to look into Biden administration actions at the southern border and into the business dealings of the president's son, Hunter Biden.

Words in This Story

afford to –v. to allow or permit something to happen because doing so will not bring negative results to oneself or others

a couple –n. two in number, or sometimes an integer close to two in number

key –adj. very important or crucial, essential

achievement –n. completion of an important or difficult goal or task

1 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

9 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

10 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。