I'm a registered independent voter, and have been since I registerd to vote in 1976. I'd love for biased, partisan, party politics to cease.
That may be a vision that won’t come to pass. But if there is no cooperation, the new Congress that takes office in January may not accomplish much. The reason? After the 2022 midterm elections, Democrats will control the Senate by a small margin, but the Republicans will control the House by s small margin.
Without some cooperation, legislation passed by one party in one chamber may be doomed to defeat in the other. Will this lead the two parties to constructively cooperate to achieve success, compromise on integrity, or will the divided Congress lead to gridlock? It remains to be seen.
Unanimity and Mavericks
Actually, the Democrats will only control the Senate if they all (or all but one if they win Georgia's runoff election) agree to vote together. Similarly, the Republicans will only control the House of Representatives if they all (or virtually all depending on how a few undecided races end up) vote together.
A few maverick Senators and Representatives in each party who fail to vote along party lines may wield significant power. This could lead to favorable treatment for their pet projects at the expense of good government or it could lead to constructive cooperation.
The Breakdown of Congress By Party
Much remains unknown about the upcoming Congress.
The June 22, 2017 early morning photo below shows the U.S. Capitol Building where Congress meets. I hope their meetings are productive in the 118th Congress that convenes in January 2023, but divisions may make that unlikley.
The Republicans will control the House of Represenstatives by a small margin. As of today, November 20, 2022, according to Politico’s projections the Republicans have won 218 seats, Democrats 212, with 5 remaining undecided. CNN reports 219 Republican wins, 212 Democratic wins, with 4 undecided.
Cooperation or Gridlock?
Sadly, gridlock may be more likely than cooperation, based on recent past history. This may lead to a Congress unable to agree and pass much significant legislation. Even worse, both chambers may compromise in an unconstructive way that leads to legislation that provides some of the bad ideas of each party, as mentioned earlier. We need our Senators and Represenatives to be mavericks with integrity that stand up for what is correct.
Furthermore, we voters need to seek to hold persons in Congress accountable. Obviously the nation is deeply divided. But it's not too late to listen, learn, and seek the best for the future. I hope our Congressional members do so, and we citizens seek to hold them accountable when they fail to.
What About 2024 Elections?
Many of our nation's current leaders and prospective 2024 leaders are beyond the traditional retirement age for typical careers. President Joe Biden turned 80 years old today, November 20, 2022, and plans to run for reelection in 2024 as it stands now. Last week former President Donald Trump, age 76, announced he plans to run for President again in 2024. Other candidates are likely. Much can change between now and 2024, but a Reuters article last week listed some potential contenders for President in 2024.
U.S. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell is 80 years old. Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi, age 82, announced she will step down as the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives though remain as a Representative in the 118th Congress that convenes in January.
In the 2024 elections more than twice as many Senats seats currrently held by Democrats will be up for election as Republican seats. This seems to increase Republican chances of taking control of the Senate in 2024, especially if several incumbent Democrats choose not to run for reeelection. Age-related issues could impact some prominent persons in both parties.
It would be great if sometime between now and the 2024 election the bitter divisions in the country are resolved in a constructive way. I hope and pray so. But that remains unknown.
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